Love Everlasting
by ramapothe8r
Summary: Hermione and Severus discover their love for each other, but their love must face many tests. CHAPTER 17 IS UP!! Sorry it took so long, but I think you'll like it.
1. A Love Revealed

Love Everlasting

Chapter 1

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story. They belong to the wonderful JK Rowling and I thank her so much for creating Harry Potter and his magical world.

A/N: This is my first time writing a fanfic, so please; any constructive criticism is greatly appreciated. 

            Hermione happily strolled down the hallway after finishing the final exam of her 6th year at Hogwarts. _Finally, she thought,__ I'm done with my sixth year. Only one more to go and I'll be a full-fledged witch. Suddenly, something bumped into her, or did she bump into him? _

            "Miss Granger, may I ask what you are so happy about that you believe you don't need to pay attention to where you're walking?"

            _Damn! Why did I have to bump into Snape? "I'm sorry Professor. I was thinking about the fact that I only have on year left. And Professor Dumbledore told me at lunch that I will be allowed to stay for the summer as an intern for Professor McGonagall. Who is your intern going to be?"_

            "I shall be taking Mister Malfoy as my intern. And, might I say, Professor McGonagall thinks very highly of you to take a stubborn girl like you as her intern. Congratulations."

            "Thank you Professor. I hope you have a pleasant summer."

            Snape passed her and went into his private office. He sat at his desk, putting his head in his hands, breathing heavily. _Gods, she has grown up to be a very beautiful woman. __I can't believe it. She makes my heart jump every time she passes. How am I going to spend an entire summer near her? He flipped through a worn copy of Most Potente Potions, trying to think of what he was going to do with Malfoy all summer. Dog-earing a number of pages with very complex potions listed within, Snape got up, put the book back on the shelf and went into his quarters._

            Hermione walked quickly into her new room, Head Girl's room. All the 7th years had already left, seeing as their exams and graduation ceremony were completed the week before. After unpacking a few things, she sat on the bed and stared at the new potions book, the book for 7th years. _How am I going to spend the whole summer near him? He makes my knees wear every time I talk to him. I think I'm in love with him. _

_            The next day at breakfast, only the students staying as interns and the professors were in the Great Hall. Hermione sat next to Harry, who was taken as intern for the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. _

            "I wonder who the new DADA teacher is, Mione. They sure don't last long, do they? Hermione? Are you listening to me?" Harry said, waving his hand in front of her face.

            She was staring at Snape. He was wearing a snug black dress shirt and black tuxedo-type pants. She could see almost every muscle in his chest and arms. Finally, Harry's words got through to her, but she didn't know what the question was. "Umm, yeah Harry. I'm listening." 

            "No you're not. Who are you staring at?"

            "Oh, no one in particular. I'm just thinking about how odd it is to see all the professors out of their robes. Well, everyone except Professor Dumbledore. I don't think he owns anything other than those old robes."

            "Me either. Well, I need to go down to the lake. The new DADA professor is supposed to be apparating there any time soon."

            "Bye Harry. If I don't see you, have fun with the new teacher."

            Harry got up and headed outside. Hermione sat at the Gryffindor table, staring at Snape. Snape tried not to stare back, although he wanted to very badly. Every so often, Snape would steal a longing glance down to where she sat. As she got up and started toward the door, he stared at her, watching the gentle swish of her hips and the light reflecting off of her hair.

            _She certainly is beautiful. But she's my student! This could never work out. She and I could never be a "we". Why must the ones I love, always be out of my reach? He stood up and briskly chased after Hermione. "Miss Granger! MISS GRANGER! I must speak with you." _

            "Why, Professor, are you alright? Have I done something wrong?" Hermione stared at him; her innocent, brown eyes nearly made him melt.

            "Hermi…Miss Granger, I must ask you to please not come to the potions room unless you are accompanied by someone other than myself, or else I am sure to do something rash that we will both regret."

            "What do you mean Professor? Something like this?" Hermione stood up on tiptoe and softly kissed him full on the lips.

            "What did you do that for? Are you trying to tease me? No one has ever wanted to kiss me, especially after everything that as happened in the past with Voldemort. There is no way you could love me."

            "But I do. I don't know exactly when I realized it, but I do love you. Professor, I love you so much that it makes my knees go weak every time I see you. I couldn't tell you because I knew you wouldn't feel the same way."

            "I wouldn't feel how? Like this?" Snape said with a sly smile as he brushed her cheek with his fingers and pressed his lips to hers. She parted her lips slightly and his tongue invaded her mouth, exploring every crevice. After a moment, she pulled away. "Not here, Professor, not here."

            Hermione took his hand and led him up into the Head Girl's room. She sat Snape on the queen sized bed before sitting on his lap and planting a soft kiss on his lips. Snape ran his fingers through her chocolate brown hair, reveling in its softness and pressing his lips harder against hers. A soft moan escaped Hermione's mouth; Snape used this opportunity to explore her mouth with his tongue. She returned the kiss, running her tongue along his teeth. This time, Snape broke off the kiss and just stared at Hermione.

            "What's the matter Professor? Did I do something wrong?" Hermione asked, looking into Snape's nearly black eyes. 

            "Quite on the contrary, my dear Miss Granger. I just cannot believe that someone with your amazing mind and beauty could possibly have any feelings for me."

            "Please, call me Hermione when it's just us. Can I call you Severus, or am I to be stuck calling you Professor even when we're alone?"

            "That's entirely up to you, Hermione. I just hope you make the correct choice."

            Hermione leaned in and whispered in his ear "Severussss."

            "Gods, I like the sound of that. Do you have to meet with McGonagall today? Because I mean, Malfoy's on vacation for 2 weeks and I have nothing to do until he comes back." Severus took her hand and ran his fingers over her smooth skin.

            "Yes I do have to meet with Professor McGonagall today in OH GODS! I only have 5 minutes until I have to be in the Transfiguration room. But I will talk to Professor McGonnigal to see is I can work with you once or twice a week until Malfoy comes back. I don't see why she'll say no. See you at lunch. Goodbye love." 

            Hermione gave him a quick kiss as she flew out of the room and made it to the Transfiguration room just in time. Professor McGonagall was waiting for her with a number of inanimate objects and a few small animals. They worked for a few hours, changing bits of parchment into butterflies and porcupines into cacti. A few minutes before lunch, Hermione tidied up and went to Professor McGonagall's desk.

            "Umm, Professor, I was talking with Professor Snape this morning and he told me that Draco is on vacation with his family for a few weeks. This means that Professor Snape won't have an intern until he comes back. I was wondering if maybe, until Draco comes back, I could do a little work with Professor Snape also. I would spend most of my time with you, but just a few hours a week I could work on my potions too."

            "As touching as your speech was, I've already spoken to Professor Snape and we have agreed that you will work with me during the mornings and with Professor Snape in the afternoons. Does that schedule satisfy you?"

            "Yes! Thank you so much Professor! Then I suppose I will see you tomorrow after breakfast."

            "I don't know why you would want to spend so much time with Professor Snape, but that's your choice. Have fun and I shall see you tomorrow."

            Hermione half-walked, half-skipped down to the Potions dungeon. The door was closed, so she knocked on the door and opened it a little bit.

            "Go away; I have no need for anyone right now!"

            Hermione opened the door all the way and stepped inside. Severus was in his private office, so she headed toward the back of the room to his office. 

            "I SAID GO AWAY!" Severus stood up with his back to the door and spun sharply to face the intruder.

            "If you want me to go away, I will. But I thought you might like to tell me what time to come here this afternoon." She turned and headed to the door, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her in close to him.

            "She said yes? I can't believe it. Are you tying to tease me because if you are, I will never speak to you outside of class."

            Hermione stood up on tiptoe and wrapped her arm around the back of his neck to steady herself. "I would never lie to you, never." She whispered in his ear and kissed down his jaw line, finally reaching his lips as he sat down in an overstuffed office chair with Hermione in is lap. Hermione kissed him softly on the lips, but pulled away as soon as he tried to press his lips harder against hers. Severus looked at Hermione with a quizzical look in his eyes.

            "What were you so angry about when I first came?"

            "Nothing, nothing important at all."

            "I've never seen you that angry about nothing. Now please, tell me. Whatever it is, I'll always be here for you."

            "Hermione, I want to, but I just can't. I can't"

            Severus buried his face in her soft hair and the two just sat there for a few minutes, holding each other. After some moments of silence, Severus picked his head up and slowly moved to roll up his sleeve…

A/N: I hope my first attempt at a fanfic isn't too horrible. Please R&R! 


	2. Explanations and a New Look

Love Everlasting

Chapter 2

Rating: R

Disclaimer: The characters belong to JK Rowling. 'Nuff said.

            Severus rolled his sleeve up to his elbow and, for the first time, Hermione saw the Dark Mark that was tattooed on his arm. It was glowing a soft, but angry red. Hermione barely touched the edge of the Dark Mark, but Severus still flinched; even that soft touch caused him great pain. He pulled her into a tight embrace and held her close.

            "You don't have to go to him, do you?"

            "No, not yet. Not until it glows white, but the pain will get worse until I have to go meet with Voldemort."

            "Can't Madame Pomfrey do something about the pain? She knows so much about medicine, there has to be something she can do."

            "No, I don't want to bring Poppy into this. This pain is something I have to deal with, as my punishment for betraying the world. I've caused so much pain for so many that it is only fair for me to have to endure." 

            Hermione stroked his cheek and brushed his hair away from his face. She stood up and took his hand. Severus rolled down his sleeve. The two slowly walked to the Great Hall for lunch. Before they entered, however, Severus stopped and let go of Hermione's hand. 

            "You go in first. I will follow after a minute or so. Wouldn't look very good if we went in together, would it?"

            "No, I suppose you're right. See you after lunch, Professor." 

            Hermione strolled into the Great Hall, taking her usual seat next to Harry. As the food started to appear, she watched Severus walk in, no longer the tender man she knew in private, but his usually gruff and irritable self. Harry and Hermione quickly ate their lunches; then chatted about their first experience as interns. 

            "I don't know why, but the new DADA teacher, Professor Proteja, is just as strange as all the other DADA teachers. He'll eat whatever the house elves make for him, but he will only eat his meals in his chambers. He said that he doesn't like crowds. How's he going to be able to teach a class of 40 students if he can't stand to be with a large group of people?"

            "I have no idea Harry. Sounds like you've got to try and get him to like large groups of people or else he won't make it past the Sorting Ceremony on the first day!"

            Hermione and Harry laughed and talked until it was time to go back to their classes and work. They parted at the entrance to the Great Hall; Harry went upstairs and Hermione went to the potions dungeon. She sat at the lab table closest to Severus' desk. Hermione waited for a few minutes before putting her head on the table and falling asleep. Shortly after, Severus walked into the room, not expecting Hermione to actually be there. Seeing her sleeping so peacefully, he scooped her up and carried her into his chambers. Severus laid her sleeping body on his king-sized bed and gently covered her with a quilt in Slytherin colors. Content that his new love was sleeping comfortably, Severus settled into a large armchair and tried to read a book. But soon after trying to read, he discovered that he was happier just watching Hermione sleep. As it neared dinner time, Severus knelt next to the bed so he was eye level with Hermione. He took her hand and kissed it gently.

            "Hermione, it's time to wake up."

            She stirred, but didn't wake up. Severus leaned in and planted a kiss on her lips. Hermione came out of her deep sleep and pressed her lips hard into his. He felt her tongue trying to enter his mouth and Severus happily opened his mouth to let her in. Hermione hungrily devoured his mouth, wrapping her arms around his neck and practically knocking him over. Snape pulled away, trying to catch his breath.

            "We need to go to dinner, Hermione."

            "But I want to stay here, with you!"

            "Now no whining young lady. You are going to dinner so you can talk to Potter."

            "Okay. But can I at least come back after dinner?"

            "Why don't you spend some time with Potter? Have a little fun. I'll see you tomorrow afternoon. Besides, he'll get pretty suspicious if we start to spend a lot of time together."

            "Alright, but you better be on time tomorrow after lunch or else I'm going to stop coming. I'd like to do more than just sleep when I'm supposed to be learning." Hermione said, getting up and heading up to the Great Hall.

            She sat at the Gryffindor table and waited for Harry. He came in, sitting down across from Hermione. They made small talk while they ate, mostly discussing ways to introduce Professor Proteja to groups of people so he'd be able to handle the Sorting Ceremony.

            "You know, unless he has a really good reason, Dumbledore will make him come to the ceremony. I've never seen a teacher miss it. Plus, since he's new, Dumbledore will definitely want to introduce him to the students." 

            "Yeah, I know. Madame Hooch is getting together an impromptu game of Quidditch, interns versus professors. I think it would be a really good idea to get Professor Proteja to at least com to the game. Who knows? Maybe he's really good at Quidditch or something crazy like that."

            "Maybe he's good at Quidditch, but, Harry, I'm not! If I play in that Quidditch game, everyone will know that broom-flying is something I can't do. That's why I dropped that class after 3rd year. I never liked flying on a broom; much rather apparate."

            "It's okay. If one of the professors doesn't want to play, you'll be off the hook. Madame Hooch can't play because she's going to be referee, so maybe you could, ummm, keep score or something like that." 

            "Yeah! Madame Hooch knows I'm not very good at flying, so I'll talk to her tomorrow about keeping score for the game. Thanks Harry! I don't know what I'd do without you."

            "You're welcome, Mione. How could I not help one of my best friends? Do you want to play wizard's chess in the common room?"

            "Sure. Sounds like fun. Maybe this game, I'll actually be able to beat you!"

            Harry and Hermione dashed upstairs to the Gryffindor Common Room. Hermione got the board and her pieces and Harry got his. They played wizard's chess for a few hours. Harry beat her every time, but Hermione did come close to beating him a couple times. They put away their broken pieces, knowing that the pieces would be back together by morning.

            "You played real well, Hermione. Soon, you'll be able to beat me, then maybe Ron. Well, g'night Mione."

            "Night Harry."

            Hermione gave Harry a quick, but warm hug and they each went to their rooms. Hermione stood in front of her mirror, looking at her clothes. _Everything I own looks like a school uniform, she thought. __I need a new look, some new clothes, maybe a haircut. Wouldn't that shock everyone? I've had this look since first year. It's time for something new. Hermione decided that the upcoming weekend she would go to Hogsmeade and get a new look. She drifted off to sleep dreaming of the new Hermione._


	3. Preparing for the Quidditch Match

Love Everlasting Chapter 3 Rating: R Disclaimer: Only the plot is mine. The characters belong to JK Rowling.  
  
"Time to wake up, Hermione. It's nearly breakfast time!" Hermione's alarm clock chatted happily to wake her up.  
  
"I'm up, I'm up," Hermione groaned as she turned off the alarm and rolled out of bed.  
  
She rummaged through her closet, trying to find something she could work with. Finally, she found a black skirt that the "old" Hermione deemed too short, but it was perfect for the "new" Hermione. Pulling on the short skirt and pale pink blouse, Hermione threw on her robe and went to the Great Hall for breakfast. She sat across from Harry, and ate her breakfast, thinking about what she wanted to get from Hogsmeade.  
  
"You okay Mione? You're awfully quiet."  
  
"Just fine, Harry. Would you like to come to Hogsmeade with me this weekend?"  
  
"Sure! I need to get a new dress robe. I seem to have outgrown mine.again."  
  
"I'll help you pick out a nice new robe. Maybe you could give your old one to Ron. He's still shorter than you, but he's outgrown his dress robes. Plus, Ron doesn't like the robes his mom picks out."  
  
"That sounds like a really good idea. Hedwig can take it to Ron as a surprise!"  
  
Harry smiled and finished his breakfast, excited about surprising his best friend with a nice robe that will actually fit. Hermione finished her breakfast and strolled up to the Transfiguration room. She sat at the desk she always sat at, waiting for Professor McGonagall. McGonagall come in the room and sat at her desk.  
  
"Miss Granger, we shan't be doing any transfiguring today."  
  
"Why not Professor? Did I do something wrong yesterday?"  
  
"Quite on the contrary, my dear. You transfigured exceptionally well yesterday. Madame Hooch needs some of my assistance in organizing the Quidditch game set for tomorrow evening. Would you like to assist me by going around to all the classrooms and asking the professors and interns if they would like to play?"  
  
"Yes, Professor, I'd be more than happy to help you."  
  
"Thank you very much. Please, take your time, there's no rush to come back with the list. But please bring me the list before lunch."  
  
With a smile, Hermione headed out of the room, going to all of the classrooms and compiling a list of who wanted to play. Finally, she went to Severus' room last. She entered the room and saw Severus sitting at his desk, back to the door. Creeping ever so silently, Hermione made her way over to his chair. She touched his shoulder, but didn't get the reaction she expected. All of a sudden, in a whirl of robes, Severus stood up and spun around, pointing his wand menacingly at Hermione's chest. Hermione's eyes grew wide with terror as she stared at the wand pointed at her chest. After a few seconds, Severus realized who his wand was pointed at.  
  
"Dear Gods, Hermione! You scared the wits out of me! I'm so sorry to have scared you, but it's an unconscious reaction from all those horrible years. Please forgive me?"  
  
Hermione just stood there, the look of pure terror frozen on her face. Severus put away his wand and brushed a stray hair behind her ear before kissing her forehead. She leaned into his soft kiss and he enveloped her in a warm, comforting hug. Hermione buried her face in his robes, quietly crying. Severus simply held her, hoping he could comfort her even though it was he who scared her so much.  
  
"I'm so sorry, so sorry my love," Severus whispered softly.  
  
Hermione's tears subsided; she snuggled close to Severus. He lifted her chin so he could look into Hermione's soulful eyes, tears nearly filling his. Severus stared into her eyes, blinking to keep his tears at bay. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.  
  
"I forgive you, Severus. It was an accident. I just hope that you'd never actually want to hurt me," Hermione snuggled back against Snape's muscular chest, but Snape held her away from him at an arm's length.  
  
"How could you say that?" Snape asked, taken aback. "I would never want to hurt you. You just surprised me; I'm not used to people coming up from behind me. It's an old Death Eater defensive reaction. I'm so sorry, Hermione."  
  
"I understand. Completely."  
  
Snape looked at the clipboard and quill that lay on the floor. He picked them up and handed them back to Hermione.  
  
"What's that for?" he asked Hermione, reading the list of names.  
  
"Madame Hooch is organizing a Quidditch game tomorrow evening after dinner. Professor McGonagall asked me to help by compiling a list of professors and interns that want to play. You were my last stop. So, do you wan to play?"  
  
Quidditch. The word ran through Severus' mind like a long-forgotten love newly remembered. He was the second best seeker at Hogwarts in his time as a student. Second to Potter, then and now. Still, he was good, and he'd love to have a way to impress Hermione other than brewing potions.  
  
"I suppose it would be interesting to watch, but I believe that I will play."  
  
"Great! Any specific position you want?" A great smile crossed her lips.  
  
"Bea.I mean seeker, I would like to play seeker."  
  
"Seeker! Wow, I would have expected you to play beater an day."  
  
"For your information, Hermione, I played seeker on the Slytherin team. Actually beat Potter's father once. Stunning upset if I do say so."  
  
"And I'm sure you do," Hermione said as she leaned in for a quick kiss. "I have to take this back to Professor McGonagall or she'll wonder what happened to me. See you after lunch"  
  
Hermione smiled at Severus and blew him a kiss. She strolled out of the dungeons and up to the Transfiguration room, giving the list to Professor McGonagall. She looked over the list and her eyes widened significantly as she saw Snape's name on the list.  
  
"Professor Snape wants to join the game?" she asked quizzically.  
  
"Yes ma'am. And the list shows that the teams are even, which means everyone wanting to play can."  
  
"Very good, Miss Granger. Madam Hooch will be the referee, I will announce, and you are going to keep score, correct?"  
  
"Yes Professor, I'll be more than happy to keep score. Anything else you need me to do before lunch?"  
  
"No Miss Granger, you may go to lunch now. See you tomorrow."  
  
Hermione went to lunch and ate quickly. She was done before Harry even got to the Great Hall. Running into the library, she read about a transfiguration that would turn a ball of wax into a perfect model of a Golden Snitch. This would be the perfect gift for Severus. I'll make it tonight and give it to him tomorrow after the Quidditch match. He'll love it, Hermione thought as she pictured the look on Severus' face when she gave it to him. After writing down the instructions, she raced to the Potions dungeon to meet Severus. He was sitting facing the door, tapping his fingers on the desk.  
  
"You're late Miss Granger. First you sleep through our time, and now you're late, what am I going to do with you?"  
  
"I don't know, Professor. You could always give me detention," she replied with a smile.  
  
"There are no detentions during the summer sessions, Miss Granger." Hermione winked at him. "But I could always make an exception. You will be here after dinner for detention."  
  
"Yes Professor. What are we going to do right now, sir?"  
  
"I need to go to London to get some supplies not easily found here. Would you care to join me? I could show you where to find potion supplies in the Muggle world."  
  
"That would be lovely. Should we change into Muggle clothes?"  
  
"Yes, come along. You may change in my bathroom if you wish."  
  
Hermione followed Severus into his private chambers and he showed her into his bathroom. The bathroom was beautiful, white tile floor, pale hunter green walls, and white toilet, sink, and tub with silver fixtures. She quickly changed her robe, skirt, and blouse into a light blue sundress with white sandals. She smoothed her hair into a sleek ponytail and stepped out of the bathroom. When Hermione stepped out of the bathroom, her jaw nearly dropped when she saw Severus. His hair was pulled back with a thin black ribbon and he was wearing a pair of snug blue jeans and a dark green polo shirt. The shirt clung to every muscle in his chest, showing Hermione just how muscular the thin man really was.  
  
"Ready to go Hermione?" he asked, playing with a small ruffle on her dress.  
  
"Whenever you are Severus. How are we going to get there?"  
  
"There's a lovely little park just outside London, we'll apparate there." Hermione looked puzzled. "I know you're not licensed to apparate, but I can apparate with you as long as we're touching the entire time, but first we must go to Hogsmeade so we can apparate."  
  
Severus showed her through a secret passage from the back of his office into the storage room of Dervish and Banges. Hermione smiled as Severus firmly wrapped his arm around her waist. She closed her eyes and pressed herself closer against him as she felt her feet leave the ground and the world began to swirl around her. 


	4. London

Love Everlasting Chapter 4 Rating: NC-17 Disclaimer: My plot, JK Rowling's characters.  
  
Severus tightened his grip on Hermione as the world became a swirl of colors around them. They landed in a meadow just outside of London. As the world came back into focus, Hermione felt a little dizzy and leaned against Severus for support.  
  
"Are you feeling alright, Hermione?" he asked, gently rubbing her back.  
  
"Fine, Severus, just a little dizzy. I've never apparated before."  
  
"If you kept your eyes closed, keep them open when we go back to Hogwarts. That usually helps keep you from getting sick."  
  
"Thanks, I'll remember that."  
  
She gave Severus a warm hug; he kissed the top of her head. Hermione let go of him and was just a little shaky. Severus held her hand, supposedly to make sure she was feeling alright. They walked down the meadow and onto the busy streets of London. "So, what kind of ingredients do we need to get?"  
  
"Mostly just some things that are less expensive in the Muggle world. Purchasing inexpensive ingredients here save some money from my annual school budget for more rare ingredients. I need some leeches, daisies with the roots, a few rats, some spiders, ginger root, and, if you don't mind, I need to stop at Gladrags Wizardwear. During the potions final, it seems the younger Creevy child, Dennis, burned a very hole through my work robes and my favorite dress shirt."  
  
"I don't mind at all. Who knows? It could turn out to be quite fun. Does Professor Dumbledore know that I came with you today?"  
  
"Yes he does. I had to ask for his permission to take you off the grounds and to apparate with you. He also said that it would be perfectly acceptable for us to 'miss' dinner and dine here in London. I believe that dining together would qualify as a first date, what do you think?"  
  
"I do believe you are correct," Hermione said with a smile.  
  
Severus flashed her a quick smile and squeezed her hand. The two strolled happily through the streets, stopping in various shops to purchase the needed supplies. After a quick stop in a deserted alley to send the packages back to Hogwarts with a flick of his wand, Severus brought Hermione to a beautiful little café for dinner. The hostess seated them at a softly lit table near the windows. Throughout dinner, Severus and Hermione chatted about almost everything, except his past. She knew better than to bring up the subject with so many Muggles around, but she greatly desired to learn about those dark times of his life. Severus paid the waiter and generously tipped him (Who knew that he knew how to count Muggle money?). They sat outside Gladrags Wizardwear; Severus wrapped his arm around Hermione's shoulders and held her warmly.  
  
"Dinner was wonderful, Severus. Thank you. I haven't had a more enjoyable evening in a long time."  
  
"Would you mind if we still went to Gladrags? I would like to get a new robe before Malfoy comes back and I simply detest shopping in Hogsmeade."  
  
"Of course I don't mind! Besides, we do have to get back to Hogwarts before dark. I do have that detention to serve tonight."  
  
Hermione smiled and Severus pulled her into a passionate kiss. His tongue devoured her mouth and Hermione finally broke the kiss, desperate for air. She snuggled close to him, resting her head on his warm chest. Severus and Hermione stood up and went into Gladrags holding hands. When inside, Severus began looking for simple, black work robes, Hermione wandered through the racks of beautiful dress robes. Then she saw it: the most beautiful robe Hermione could have ever imagined of. It was an incredible shade of deep purple with beading that sparkled like diamonds on the bottom hem, the edge of the sleeves, and on the collar. She took it off the rack and sat Severus in one of the chairs outside the dressing rooms, packages in hand.  
  
"Please, do me this one favor. I want to try on this robe. It's beautiful and I could never afford it, but I just want to see how it feels on."  
  
Severus smiled, nodded, and watched Hermione happily dash into the dressing room to put on her perfect gown. She slipped into the robe; it hugged every beautiful curve in her body. It was perfect, everything she wished for in dress robes. She stepped out of the dressing room to show Severus. His eyes grew wide as he stared at Hermione; that robe must have been made especially for her.  
  
"Gods, you look amazing," was all he could say.  
  
"It's perfect, Severus. I just wish I could actually buy it."  
  
"Someday, love, someday you will."  
  
Hermione took it off gently and hung it back up, carefully putting it back on the rack. Severus took her hand and they strolled back to the meadow where they apparated. From behind a dark patch of trees, Severus pulled Hermione into a tight embrace. This time Hermione kept her eyes open as her feet lifted off the ground and the world swirled around them. They safely landed back in Hogsmeade, slowly making their way back to Hogwarts. Severus let go of her hand when they reached the large, wooden doors.  
  
"Now remember, Miss Granger, you have a detention with me tonight and I expect you there on time!"  
  
"Yes Professor, I will not be late again today," she leaned in and whispered in his ear. "Thank you for a wonderful evening, my love."  
  
A brief smile crossed Severus' lips before resetting it their usual scowl. The two parted, Hermione going to her rooms and Severus to his, each dreaming of the "detention" soon to come. 


	5. The Detention and the Calling

Love Everlasting

Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Question: Who owns these characters? Answer: Not Me! JK Rowling does!

            Hermione knocked softly on the closed door and after her third knock, a message appeared on the door. She picked it up and read it to herself. 

            "Dearest Hermione,

            Your detention tonight will be served in my chambers. Go to the end of this hallway, turn left, up the stairs, third portrait on the right. The password is "Asphodel". See you soon.

                                                                        Severus"

            Hermione quickly raced down the hallway, and followed the directions to his chambers. After quietly whispering "asphodel" to the snoozing centaur in the portrait, she cautiously stepped inside. She looked around and only saw a sparsely decorated sitting room, small black leather couch, side table, and a lamp. Hermione decided to just sit on the couch and wait for Severus, but before she got a chance to sit down, Severus spoke.

            "Is that you Miss Granger?"

            "Did I do something wrong Severus? You only call me Miss Granger in public."

            "No, my dear, you've done nothing wrong," Severus said as he came into the sitting room, sitting next to her. "I only wanted to make sure it was you before I said anything more. Goodness knows, if it was someone else, we could have been in a lot of trouble."

            Severus quickly muttered a locking spell and stood up, taking Hermione's hand. He led her silently into his bedroom, which also had a small dining area. When he turned her around to see the front wall, Hermione's jaw dropped. The entire wall was covered with bookshelves, filled with mostly magic books, but there were plenty of Muggle books. More books than Hermione had ever seen outside a library. Severus stood behind Hermione and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his head on her shoulder. 

            "So, what do you think? I knew you'd like it."

            Hermione leaned closer into his embrace. "I'm amazed. You know that now there's no keeping me out of here, don't you?"

            Severus just smiled and held her closer. After a little while, Severus scooped Hermione up into his arms and carried her to his bed. He sat on the bed with Hermione on his lap. She wrapped his arms around his neck and pulled him into a rough, but still soft kiss. Severus devoured her soft mouth with his hungry tongue. They kissed for a while and finally broke, struggling for air. He unbuttoned her robe and slid it off his shoulders; she did the same to him. She was still wearing the sundress from earlier that evening. He had changed back into his normal clothes. Hermione got up and went into his bathroom.

            "I'll be right back, don't you move."

            Hermione slipped out of the sundress, remaining just in her short, lacy slip, underwear and bra. Severus, meanwhile, unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it aside. She came back into the main room. Severus just smiled and pulled her to him. They fell back in a tangle as she kissed his chest and he slid his hands under the slip, reveling in the softness of her skin. Severus slipped out of his trousers, revealing dark green boxer shorts. He started to pull off Hermione's slip, but she stopped him.

            "Please Severus, I'm not ready yet." 

            "Alright, Hermione, I can wait for you."

            "Thank you. I hoped so much that you would understand."

            "Of course I understand. I don't want to rush you into anything you're not ready for."

            Severus pulled her into a warm embrace and kissed the back of her shoulders, sending shivers down Hermione's spine. Hermione snuggled into his chest and laid her head on his shoulder. Severus gently ran his fingers through her hair, taking time to inhale her sweet scent of rose and lavender. She yawned and the warmth between them made her very sleepy. He felt Hermione's breathing slow; she was tired.

             "Do you want me to take you back your chambers? It's getting late and you're tired," Severus whispered.

            "Can I stay? I don't want to leave unless you want me to."

            Without saying a word, Severus pulled the black and green quilt with silver stitching up over the two lovebirds. Hermione quickly fell into a deep sleep and shortly thereafter, listening to her quiet breathing, Severus fell asleep too.

            Early the next morning, Severus awoke with a start. His arm hadn't hurt a lot since a few days ago and he thought that maybe Voldemort had forgotten about him. No such luck, though. The Dark Mark was glowing white-hot and the tiny amount of pressure Hermione's hand was putting on his arm made it hurt even more. He carefully moved out from under her and got up to get dressed. While pulling on the black pants, black dress shirt, and blood-red robes, Hermione started to wake up. She saw the red robes and shot out from under the covers. Severus saw the tears welling up in Hermione's eyes and they started flowing slowly. Without getting too close, he wiped the tears from her face. Hermione practically lunged at Severus and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, sobbing into his robes. 

            "Please don't go, Severus! Voldemort must know by now! He'll surely kill you and I can't bear that," Hermione cried to him.

            "Hermione, dear, I must go. There is still much more I can learn from him to help fight him later. I shall be fine. Don't worry yourself overmuch. But now I need you to go to Dumbledore. He wakes early, so he's already in his office. The password is "soda pop." Please tell him that I had to go. Goodbye love, I shall see you soon, I promise."

            Severus pulled Hermione up to his face and tenderly kissed her forehead before hugging her once more. He sat her small, sobbing figure on the bed, brushed the hair out of her face, and left the room. Hermione hastily threw her robe on over her slip, not caring that her dress was still in a ball on the floor. It was just after dawn, so no one was in the hallways to see her run up the stairs to Dumbledore's office. She practically yelled "soda pop" at the snoozing gargoyle, who swung open much too slowly for Hermione's liking. She dashed up the short flight of steps into the main part of his office. Dumbledore was waiting for her. 

            "Severus is already gone, Miss Granger. I knew why you were coming. He will be fine; there is nothing to worry about."

            "But when will he be back? Severus just now left and I miss him still."

            "Severus will not be gone long; he rarely is. There is no need to worry about him. Now I would suggest that you go back to your chambers, or Severus's, if you would prefer to be there. Try to get some sleep. I will let Professor McGonagall know that you will be unable to assist her today. She is helping Madam Hooch with the Quidditch match anyway."

            "Thank you, Professor. I think I'll go to Severus's chambers. You'll come and get me if he returns, won't you?"

            "But of course, my dear Miss Granger. If you are requiring anything, press the emerald on the bedside table and say what you want. One of the house elves will be more than happy to get it for you."

            Hermione left Dumbledore's office and slowly wandered back to Snape's chambers. As the portrait door swung open, she started crying again when the woodsy, musky smell of Severus overcame her. Hermione tried to read some of many books covering the wall, but it was a fruitless effort. She curled up under the covers and fell asleep, dreaming of Severus and wishing he was there to hold her.  


	6. Snape Comes Back

Love Everlasting

Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I own the plot, the whole plot and nothing but the plot, thank you.

A/N: It's been a while since I wrote an author's note, so here goes. I know the plot is a little rushed, but there are so many stories with slow moving plots and they drive me nuts. Plus there's quite a bit that I want to do in this story, so it would be much too long if I took the beginning plot overly slow. Please, don't hesitate to e-mail me with suggestions other than "the plot's moving too fast" and I'll take them into consideration. My e-mail is LJeanne134@aol.com. Thanks and on with the story!

            Hermione slept most of the morning, though her sleep was plagued with nightmare of her watching Severus being killed by Voldemort. She would wake up nearly screaming, and then cry herself back to sleep. At about half past one, Dumbledore quietly entered through the portrait door carrying a silver tray with some tea and sandwiches. He sat in one of the overstuffed chairs and waited quietly for Hermione to wake up. Shortly after arriving, Hermione woke up, rolled over to see Dumbledore.

            "Good afternoon, Miss Granger. I take it you are hungry, so I took it upon myself to bring some tea and sandwiches. Will you please join me in having lunch?"

            "Thank you Professor. I haven't eaten since dinner last night. Is there any news of Severus?"

            "I have not heard from him, but that is not unusual. It is very dangerous to try to contact me or anyone while he is with the Death Eaters. He shall return soon. But now, please eat something."

            Hermione got out of Severus' bed and sat next to Dumbledore. They ate and drank, making some small talk, and also simply being thankful for the company of the other. When they were finished, Dumbledore rose to leave, picking up the tray and turning to the door. 

            "Thank you, Professor, for keeping me company for a short while. I am most grateful. See you at dinner then?"

            "Yes, I shall see you and, hopefully, Professor Snape at dinner. Have a pleasant day, Miss Granger. Oh, and I almost forgot, Professor McGonagall wanted me to ask you if you would still be interested in assisting her at tonight's Quidditch match. She also wished for me to express her hopes that you are feeling better in time for the match. I hope you don't mind I told her you were feeling a bit ill this morning."

            "Please tell Professor McGonagall that I am feeling much better. Your company has cheered me up a great deal. I'd be more than happy to help her with the Quidditch match tonight."

            Dumbledore left and Hermione was alone again. She picked a book, WutheringHeights by a Muggle author, Emily Bronte. Soon, she found herself deeply involved in the story. If the hinge on the portrait door wasn't squeaky, Hermione wouldn't have even noticed that someone had entered. She shot up out of the chair, pulling her wand out of her robes. But she dropped her wand and tears started flowing down her face when she saw Severus walking gingerly into his chambers. Hermione ran to him, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. Severus staggered backward a few steps before steadying himself and lifting her up to hug her. He sat with Hermione on his unmade bed, still holding her tight, letting her sob into his robes. Hermione shifted in his arms, putting an awkward pressure on his swollen knee. She moved off of him when she felt Severus gasp and hold his quick breath, trying not to cry out. 

            "Oh Gods, Severus, you're hurt! What did they do to you?" she whispered, barely audible. 

            "I'll be fine, Hermione. Nothing too serious this time, I only need a potion to reverse the swelling. None of the muscles or bones in my knee are seriously damaged. I shall be fine."

            Hermione helped him out of his robes and into bed. Severus winced only once, while taking off his shoes. She kissed him softly and pulled on her robes. 

            "Can I bring you anything for dinner? Harry hasn't seen me since breakfast yesterday and I have a strange feeling he's going to be worried if he doesn't see me at least once today."

            "Nothing thanks, I'm not very hungry right now. Will I see you tomorrow afternoon?" Severus asked, sitting up a little straighter.

            "Well, I was planning on coming back before the Quidditch match to see how you're feeling and if you want to come watch with me. But if you don't want me to, I won't."

            "Go have fun watching the match. I'll just stay here in relax. Thank you."

            "For what, Severus?"

            "For caring about me. Professor Dumbledore told me how upset you were."

            "I love you, Severus! How could I not be upset?"

            Severus pulled her in for a long, passionate kiss. She broke off the kiss and just stared at him. He gave Hermione a puzzled sort of look, but she just smiled, brushed the hair out of his eyes, and kissed his cheek before leaving. She walked quickly up to the Great Hall and sat across from Harry. He smiled at her as the food started to appear and everyone hungrily ate.

            "Where have you been, Mione? I was starting to think you went home without telling anyone!"

            "I was pretty busy yesterday and this morning. Professor McGonagall and Professor Hooch had me doing all kinds of work for the Quidditch match tonight."

            "Oh I can't wait to play tonight! This is going to be great. I just wish that there were more people here to watch."

            "It's going to be fun, Harry. Is the Firebolt ready for the match?"

            "My Firebolt's always ready for a good game of Quidditch. Well, I have to go get ready. See you after the match Mione!"

            Harry went jogging out of the Great Hall and up to Gryffindor Tower, into his room. While Harry got ready, Hermione sat with Professor McGonagall and talked about the match, going over the rules to make sure each had them down. Then, while the interns and professors were getting ready, Hermione strolled to the Quidditch pitch with McGonagall and Hooch. Even though he wasn't going to play, Hermione wanted to make the model snitch for Severus anyway. She worked on making the ball of wax perfect as the 7th years than Dumbledore invited to watch filed into the stands. Just as Ron found her, Hermione whispered "_snitchius modealum" to the ball of wax, waving her wand and watching the wax transform into a perfect model of a golden snitch. She stuck it in her pocket with her wand and chatted with Ron while everyone got settled._

            Meanwhile, in his chambers, Severus rummaged through his bedside table and finally found the potion he was looking for. Taking a sip of the icy green liquid, he pulled off his pants and shirt. Carefully getting out of bed, he limped into his bathroom to take a shower. The swelling went down to a comfortable level as Severus washed away the grime from his hair and body. He let the steamy water relax him. After a quick drying spell, Severus got dressed in black pants and a deep blue shirt. He pulled his hair into a low ponytail and put on the blue robes the house elves had left for him to wear in the Quidditch match. Professors would be in blue, students in red. Severus picked up his broom and headed to the Great Hall, still limping slightly but not as pronounced as it was. Everyone playing was hanging out in the Great Hall, waiting to go outside for the match. After a few minutes, Madam Hooch came into the Great Hall to bring the players to the pitch. They all walked out in single file, students first, then professors. Professor McGonagall announced each player as they flew onto the pitch. All the students in the stands were shocked when the final professor was announced, but no one was as surprised as Hermione when McGonagall announced "And the seeker for the Professor Team, Severus Snape!!"


	7. The Quidditch Match and A Gift

Love Everlasting 

Chapter 7

Disclaimer: The characters belong to JK Rowling.

            Hermione's eyes grew very wide when she heard Severus' name came out of Professor McGonagall. She watched as he flew a lap around the stadium before getting into position. Madam Hooch released the bludgers, threw the quaffle into the air, released the golden snitch, and the game began. All the students, especially Ron, were amazed to see how well the Professors played Quidditch. Flitwick, despite the fact that the quaffle was almost bigger than his head, was an amazing chaser as was Dumbledore. No one could have guessed that Professors Trelawney and Sprout actually had enough strength to be beaters. But everyone was most amazed when, just as the students were pulling into a significant lead, Severus spotted the snitch and began weaving in and out of the other players, following the snitch. It was flying exceptionally fast during this match, but both Harry and Severus were able to follow it. They ducked to avoid bludgers and chased each other around the stadium. Finally, with the students being 140 points ahead of the professors, the snitch went into a dive. Harry lost the snitch when it dove, but Severus dove with it, getting closer and closer to the ground. He pulled up only a second before the snitch did, as it flew up, he grabbed it out of the air. It was a stunning play and it shocked the whole crowd when Severus held up the snitch.

            "Professor Snape has got the snitch! The Professors win!" McGonagall shouted, though her voice was already amplified. 

            Ron looked as though he was going to attack Severus as soon as he landed. "First he makes out lives a living nightmare in potions class. Now he had to go and catch the snitch so the professors win by only ten points. That is so typical Snape, the greasy git." 

            Hermione blushed as she tried to ignore Ron's bashing of her love. They walked together into the Great Hall where a grand reception was planned. There was food, drink, and music. Everyone congratulated both teams. The student's team was overjoyed, excepting Harry, simply because they got to play. Harry was angry at himself because he let Snape get the snitch. Severus was immensely happy, but the old Death Eater in him let him put on his usual scowl; he didn't even flinch when Hermione smiled and winked at him whenever she caught his eye.

            The four long tables had been pushed to the sides of the room so that a dance floor appeared between the tables. The music picked up and students started to dance. Hermione saw that Harry was just sitting at one of the tables, trying to drown his sorrows in some punch, which coincidentally, contained no alcohol. She sat next to him and tried to cheer him up.

            "You know, Harry, no one can win every single game. Not even Viktor Krum."

            "Yeah, I know, but why did I have to lose to Snape? I mean Snape! How could he have beaten me?"

            "I'm sure that there are many things about Professor Snape that we don't know about. There's bound to be more to him than the Potions Professor that likes to tear young, unsuspecting students to shreds."

            "I guess you're right Mione. Do you want to dance?"

            "I'd love to, Harry."

            Hermione danced with Harry for most of the night, saving a few dances for Ron, Seamus, and Neville. She smiled inconspicuously at Severus every chance she got. She saw a subdued twinkle in his eyes that was only for her. She had a great time with her friends, but she longed to spend some time with Severus and give him his gift. She and Harry walked Ron, Seamus, and Neville outside to where their portkeys were waiting. They saw their friends off and headed back inside. Harry walked Hermione to her chambers and gave her a warm hug.

            "What was that for, Harry?"

            "Thanks for making me feel better after the match, Hermione. You're really a great friend."

            "You're welcome. You know, you are one of my best friends, Harry."

            "See you in the morning, Mione."

            "G'night"

            After she saw that Harry was in Gryffindor Tower, Hermione raced down to see Severus. Instead of using the password, Hermione softly knocked on the frame of the portrait. Severus muttered a simple "enter" and the portrait door swung open. She went into the room and saw Severus sitting in an overstuffed chair reading a book. Taking the book from him and tossing it aside, Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Severus pulled her to him, holding her tight in his strong arms. She snuggled close to him and whispered in his ear.

            "That was amazing, Severus! You shocked everyone when you caught the snitch and the professors won the match!"

            "I shocked myself a bit as well. I haven't flown like that since I was a student here. Potter's not too upset, I hope, that he was beaten by someone twice his age flying on a nearly ancient broom, is he?"

            "He'll be fine, but enough about that. I have a gift for you."

            "Really, Hermione, you shouldn't have! Alright, what is it?"

            "Close your eyes and hold out your hand."

            "Not one of those kinds of presents! I will not do anything of the sort!"

            With a look of indignation, Hermione leaned in and kissed him so sweetly that he had to close his eyes. She carefully took the wax-ball-turned-snitch out of her pocket, placed it in the hand not holding her, and broke the kiss. He opened his eyes and just stared at the perfect model as its wings flapped slowly. Severus picked up the model and examined it. Then he looked at Hermione, smiling, proud of her work. He placed it gently on one of the bookshelves and caressed her cheek with his hand, tears filling his eyes.

            "Thank you. No one has ever given me a gift like this. A gift made with so much care, so much thought, so much love. I cannot thank you enough."

            Hermione nodded into his hand, kissing his palm. Severus brushed her hair from her neck and softly kissed her just below her ear. She unzipped his robes and slid her hands under his shirt. Her hands were warm against his skin. He lifted her up and laid her on the bed. Quickly, but with incredible tenderness, Severus unzipped her robes and threw it aside. Then he unbuttoned her blouse and ran his hands up and down her small frame. She tossed aside her blouse and wriggled out of her skirt. For the first time, Severus saw her almost nude. He simply stared at her for a few moments, her curvy breasts barely confined in a lace bra, her tiny waist, and her slightly widening hips covered in lace matching the bra. After burning a beautiful picture of her into his memory, he pulled off his shirt and slacks. Then, to Severus' great surprise, Hermione reached behind her and unclasped her bra, releasing her breasts from their lacy confines. She let it slide off and fall to the floor. Severus took a moment to absorb this new sight before covering her body with his, kissing her all over. Hermione massaged his chest, memorizing every muscle with her hands. They explored each other's bodies for a while before falling asleep; Hermione snuggled close against Severus' chest, his arms holding her as close as humanly possible.

A/N: I know the Quidditch match was very short, but I just don't have the knack for writing the incredibly detailed and believable Quidditch matches as JK Rowling does. 


	8. The Beginning of the End

Love Everlasting

Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters! They belong to JK Rowling.

            The next day was Saturday; Hermione woke up feeling warm and relaxed in Severus' arms. She snuggled closer to Severus and he smiled, opening his eyes. Planting a soft kiss on her lips, Severus ran his long, thin fingers through her chocolate brown hair. 

            "How much time do we have before breakfast?"

            Severus looked at the clock on the nightstand behind Hermione. "About an hour."

            "I need to go back to my rooms and get clean clothes."

            "Check the closet. The house-elves probably brought you something to wear."

            Hermione got out of bed and, wrapped up in a blanket, looked in the closet. She found a denim skirt and undergarments, but no shirt was in sight. So she picked out one of his dark green dress shirts, folded it, and brought it with her into the bathroom.

            "I'm going to take a quick shower before breakfast, do you mind?"

            "Not at all, Hermione, have fun."

            She winked at him and disappeared into the bathroom. Hermione took a nice, hot shower, letting the hot water relax her even more. After a quick drying spell, she pulled her hair up into a sleek bun. It was easier to work with her hair now that it wasn't so wild and bushy. Then she got dressed, tying the bottom edges of Severus' shirt into a knot just above the waistband of her skirt. She left the top couple buttons open for a more feminine look. Hermione stepped out of the bathroom; Severus was getting dressed himself. A grin crossed his face when he saw her wearing one of his shirts.

            "That's mine, isn't it?"

            "It seems that the house elf that brought my clothes forgot to bring me a shirt. I hope you don't mind that I borrowed this."

            "It's yours. It looks better on you than it does on me."

            "Thanks"

            Severus wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her. They pulled on their robes and walked to the Great Hall, hand in hand. When they reached the doors, Severus leaned down and kissed her cheek. She brushed a stray strand of hair behind his ear and they went inside, a slight distance between them. Hermione sat down across from Harry and quietly ate her breakfast. Harry was leafing through the latest edition of _Quidditch Weekly. _

            "Do you still want to go to Hogsmeade today?"

            "You bet, Mione! I want to get my new dress robes and stop at Honeydukes to get some Chocolate Frogs."

            "Great! Are you ready?"

            "Yeah, let's go!"

            Harry and Hermione left the Great Hall and outside, down the path to Hogsmeade. First, they went to Gladrags Wizardwear to get some new clothes for Hermione and a new dress robe for Harry. Hermione picked out some short skirts and new, colorful blouses. Surprisingly, all the new clothes she got didn't cost a lot, so she didn't need to ask Harry if she could borrow some money. Then they went looking for a new dress robe for Harry. After looking through what seemed to be thousands of robes, Hermione spotted the perfect robe for Harry. It was dark blue and flowed gracefully when he walked. 

            "It's perfect, Harry. You look so handsome. And you're going to give the green robes to Ron, right?"

            "Yeah, I'm giving him the green robes. Ron probably won't want top take them, though. He doesn't like it when I offer him things he can't really afford."

            "Well, if he won't take it, sell it to him for a few bronze knuts. That way, he'll have dress robes that look nice and they won't cost him all of his life savings."

            "Great idea, Mione. Would you like to go get some butterbeer at The Three Broomsticks before heading over to Honeydukes? My treat."

            "That's so sweet of you, Harry. I'd love to get some butterbeer."

            Harry and Hermione casually strolled down the path to The Three Broomsticks. They sat at a small table and Harry went to the counter to get two warm butterbeers. He returned, giving Hermione her mug of butterbeer. The two friends drank and talked and laughed for a while. They had fun simply being in each other's company.  Harry ordered some sandwiches to share for lunch. They polished of the sandwiches and headed over to Honeydukes. Hermione picked up a couple Chocolate Frogs and a box of Every-Flavor Beans. Harry bought some Chocolate Frogs, the packaging said that there were new wizard cards inside and he wanted to complete his collection. After collecting all their purchases, the two best friends carelessly strolled back to Hogwarts. When they returned, Hermione challenged Harry to a game of Wizard's Chess. They set up the game in the Gryffindor Common Room and played for a few hours. Hermione came unbelievably close to beating Harry, but he won in the end. She put her pieces back in their box; they were trying to argue with Hermione over her apparent lack of strategical tactics. 

            "Leave it to you to buy chess pieces with as much brains as you have!"

            "Very funny, Harry, that was very funny."

            Harry smiled and Hermione jokingly punched his shoulder. She said goodbye to Harry, gave him a hug, and headed to her rooms. It was dinner time when she finished putting away all of her new clothes. She met Harry downstairs in the Great Hall and they sat down at the Gryffindor table. They happily ate the lamb chops, scalloped potatoes, and baby carrots that the house elves had prepared. Harry was still joking with Hermione about his so-called stunning victory over Hermione in their game of Wizard's Chess. Then Hermione thought of a slightly cruel, but also fitting comeback.

            "You may have beaten me at Wizard's Chess, but at lease I didn't get beaten in Quidditch by a man twice my age!"

            "Okay, Hermione, I get the point."

            They talked for a while longer, mostly about how good Hermione was becoming at Wizard's Chess. Then they went back to their rooms. Hermione only stayed in her rooms for a little while before heading quickly and quietly down to Severus' chambers. She whispered the password (still "asphodel") to the dragon in the portrait and it swung open. Severus wasn't really expecting her; he was lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling. She tiptoed into his bedroom and jumped on the bed next to him, shocking him out of his thoughts. She lay down next to him and rested her head on his chest. He wrapped his arm around waist, playfully drumming his fingers on her stomach. Hermione giggled and the vibrations of her laugh on his chest made him smile. 

            "So, how was your day in Hogsmeade with Potter?"

            "It was fun. What do you want to do tonight?"

            "I am thoroughly enjoying what we are doing right now. You know, we've never actually had a chance to talk."

            Hermione smiled, casually laying her arm across his stomach and giving him a squeeze. They talked for the whole evening and into the night about Hermione's childhood, Severus' years at Hogwarts, their favorites: color (hers, violet and his, dark green), food (hers, roast beef and his, lamb with mint sauce), vacation spot (Paris and Cairo, respectively), and many other topics. The one subject that he refused to let her touch upon was the years between graduation from Hogwarts and his becoming a Potions Professor, also known as his years as a Death Eater. He changed the subject every time she tried to ask him about that time in his life. They fell asleep, comfortably wrapped in each others arms.

            The rest of the summer followed a simple pattern after Malfoy returned. Hermione would spend her morning and afternoon with Professor McGonagall, her early evenings with Harry, and her nights with Severus. She couldn't even remember the last time she spent a night in her own bed. But all that changed the night before the rest of the students were to come to Hogwarts. When Hermione came t his chambers, Severus was sitting in an armchair, looking sad and detached.

            "Hermione, we need to talk, now."

            Hermione knew that the use of his "teacher voice" meant something was wrong. Thoughts of Voldemort and Severus having to return to Voldemort owing to the Dark Mark burning on his arm flashed through her mind. She sat in another armchair across from him and he took her hands in his.

            "What's the matter, Severus?"

            "This is incredibly hard for me to say, but it must be said. Hermione, the rest of the student body returns tomorrow evening. As much as I don't want to, our relationship must end. It pains me to have to do this to you for I love you so much."

            "Then don't do this to me!!!" Hermione shouted, tears welling up in her eyes. "We can still be together; we just need to be a little more careful. It could still work! Please, Severus, don't love me and then drop me like a useless piece of trash!"

            "I'm sorry, Hermione…"

            "Don't call me that! If you refuse to try and make this work, I am no longer Hermione to you! How could I have been so foolish as to think that you were capable of loving someone? Good-bye!" Hermione was crying as she stormed out of his room.

            Severus stood up to follow her, but then decided not to. "I still love you with all my heart. I'm sorry," he whispered as the portrait door swung shut. Little did he know that that would be the last time for a while that he would be able to see Hermione, happy or sad. 


	9. The Battle for a Girl

Love Everlasting

Chapter 9

Disclaimer: All the characters belong to JK Rowling, but the plot belongs to me.

            Tears were streaming down her face as she walked quickly through the halls. But Hermione wasn't walking fast enough to make it safely back to her rooms. She didn't know that one of Voldemort's Death Eaters had made his way into Hogwarts. And we're not talking about Severus Snape, a Death Eater sent by Voldemort to kidnap the smartest "mudblood" in Hogwarts. As she walked past him, the Death Eater whispered the spell for a full body-bind. Hermione fell to the floor, completely unable to move or speak. Her threw Hermione roughly over his shoulder and took her to Hogsmeade, where they apparated to a grand ballroom in the Malfoy Mansion. When she was taken out of the full body-bind, Hermione found herself bound and gagged, tied to a chair. She had no idea that the torture was just about to begin.

            Meanwhile, back at Hogwarts, Harry woke up with a start, his hand clutching the scar on his forehead. He got up, threw on his robes, and ran to Dumbledore's office. Ever since the beginning of his fifth year, Harry always knew the password to Dumbledore's office. He shouted "soda pop" to the sleeping gargoyle that sleepily jumped out of the way. Dumbledore was already waiting for him at the top of the stairs. 

            "Yes, Harry. Voldemort is at work today. I have already called for Professor Snape. It's possible that he knows what is going on."

            "Why would we even want to believe what Snape tells you? Let's say he does know what's going on, why would he tell us the truth?"

            "Harry, Professor Snape may have once been a pawn of Lord Voldemort, but now he has renounced his evil ways and is greatly helping us by spying on the evil of Voldemort. If anyone knows, he will. And he will help."

            With that said, Severus came sauntering into the office. He sat by the fire, staring into the flames. Severus held his head in his hands, wracked with guilt.

            "Severus, do you know what's going on with Lord Voldemort?"

            "Yes, I do," he replied, speaking slowly and deliberately. "He has taken Miss….Miss….Hermione, they've taken Hermione."

            Dumbledore stood up and moved over to where Severus was sitting. He put his hand on Severus' shoulder.

            "Severus, I was under the impression that Miss Granger was safe."

            "Well, Albus, something happened tonight, and now she's gone."

            "Professor Dumbledore, Professor Snape, will someone please tell me what's going on here? I don't understand. What do you mean Hermione's gone? What happened tonight?"

            "I will explain later, Potter," Severus was getting a bit angry. "But for now, we need to concentrate on finding Miss Granger before Voldemort kills her. He is most likely torturing her as we speak."

            "I have contacted the rest of the Professors; we are leaving tonight. Hagrid, Professor Trelawny, and Professor Proteja will remain here to watch over the students. They will keep the school safe. Severus, we will be leaving momentarily; once the rest of the professors arrive. Harry, I know this will be hard for you, but you must remain here."

            Harry stood up and looked angrily at Dumbledore and Snape. "I will not stay here! Hermione is my best friend and I won't stay here quietly while you go to find my best friend, who for all we know may be dead!!"

            The soft twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes calmed the fire in Harry's. "She is still alive, Harry. Voldemort is a sucker for big productions, especially when it involves a beautiful, intelligent Muggle-born witch. We would have heard something had she been killed. Now, please Harry. It's safer if you remain here."

            Harry stared at Snape, "She better come back tonight, alive, or I will make your life a living hell. Do you understand me, Professor Snape?"

            "Mr. Potter," Severus replied with a sad softness in his voice. "I would like nothing more in this life than to see Miss Granger back here at Hogwarts, safe and sound. I know you may not believe me, but I do not hate you, Miss Granger, or Mr. Weasley. I promise that I will see her back here safe, even if it kills me."

            "Fine, Snape, but I will hold you to that promise."

            Harry stormed out of Dumbledore's office and went back to his room. All of the professors gathered in the Headmaster's office for a briefing before leaving to go find Hermione. 

            "Alright everyone," Dumbledore said with an air of urgency. "We must all be ready for a fight. I do not know how many Death Eaters will be present with Voldemort, but there will be a fight. Anyone that doesn't wish to go will not be forced to."

            No one moved, everyone stood ready to fight Voldemort. Three Aurors walked into the room and one nodded to Dumbledore. 

            "The Aurors have located Voldemort. Hopefully Miss Granger is with him. It is time for us to go. Have your wands ready and I thank you in advance for helping us with the fight."

            At the Snape mansion, Voldemort was watching silently as his Inner Circle of Death Eaters, 5 wizards in black robes and masks, tortured the beautiful young witch. They had untied her, stripped her naked, and were having fun watching her writhe in pain as they performed the Crutiatus Curse on her over and over.

Hermione was barely conscious now, after being hit with the curse at least half a dozen times. Carelessly, Voldemort had invited his look-out inside the ballroom to join in the "fun". So no one was around to hear the faint popping noise outside the mansion. Dumbledore, the professors, and the three Aurors apparated inside the mansion gates. The Aurors would go after Voldemort while the professors took care of the Death Eaters. Severus would find Hermione and leave with her as soon as she was found. They carefully crept inside and followed the Aurors to the ballroom. They burst in the room, Aurors flinging curses left and right before the Death Eaters realized what was going on. The fight went on for about two hours. Three of the Death Eaters were killed, the other two captured. Voldemort was injured but a few curses, but he managed to escape. Severus found Hermione unconscious in a corner behind a pillar. He nearly cried out when he saw her battered and broken body in a crumpled heap on the tile floor. Removing his robe and wrapping it around her, Severus gently lifted the bruised and bloody girl and cradled her him his arms. Her breathing became wheezy and Severus worked more quickly to get her out of there. He closed his eyes and concentrated on apparating to Hogsmeade, where the team had left from. The battle was still going on when Severus disappeared with Hermione in his arms. Dumbledore whispered to McGonagall, who was fighting next to him, "Hermione's safe. Severus just left with her." Knowing that their Head Girl was safe, the professors fought with a renewed fervor. The fight was over when Voldemort disapparated; the Death Eaters had already been finished with. The Aurors left with the Death Eaters, dead or alive, in tow, heading to Azkaban. The professors apparated back to Hogsmeade and quickly caught up with Severus. He was walking quickly, but carefully, trying not to injure Hermione further. 

            "Will she be alright, Severus?" Professor McGonagall pleadingly asked, looking as though she was going to faint any second.

            "It will be a long recovery, Minerva. She was hit with the Crutiatus Curse at lease a dozen times. But if anyone can save her, Poppy can."

            Once inside Hogwarts, Dumbledore, McGonagall, Sprout, Hooch, and Vector surrounded Severus and Hermione as he carried her to the Hospital Wing. Dumbledore led them inside and woke up Madam Pomfrey. Severus gently laid Hermione on a bed next to the window, pulled his robe off of her, and covered her with a soft green blanket. A very tired Madam Pomfrey came out of her bedchambers and paled completely to white when she saw Hermione on the bed. 

            "What in the world has happened to this child?" Madam Pomfrey said in shock.

            "Voldemort kidnapped her. Crutiatus. Please, Poppy, please help her," Severus looked at Madam Pomfrey with an incredible amount of pleading in his eyes. 

            "I'll do what I can, but injuries like these cannot easily be fixed in one day."

            "We understand completely, Poppy. Take good care of her."

            Everyone left except Dumbledore and Severus. Poppy pulled back the blanket and took a deep breath. Her injuries were incredibly extensive and would take a lot of magic to heal her. She looked from Severus, who was holding Hermione's hand and brushing her hair off of her face, to Dumbledore with a puzzled look on her face.

            "Poppy, Severus will be staying with Miss Granger whenever he is not teaching a class. He will be more than happy to assist you in any way he can, isn't that right, Severus?"

            "Yes, anything I can do to help please let me know and I will do it."

            "I will leave you two alone to care for Miss Granger. Work hard and fast Poppy. She needs you," Dumbledore said as he walked out of the Hospital Wing.

            Madam Pomfrey quickly went to work, repairing her internal injuries with a few complex charms. Once they heard her breathing become less labored, she could work a little slower, Hermione was, for the most part, out of the woods. She put a few drops of Dreamless Sleep potion on Hermione's tongue and watched as Hermione's entire body greatly relaxed. 

            "Now, Severus, I know you don't want to leave, but I need you to make me a potion to reduce swelling, and another to ease the pain. Poor girl's wrist is terribly broken. It will be simple to repair the broken bones, but the muscles need to fix themselves which will be quite painful."

            "Yes, I understand. I will return as soon as the potions are completed," Severus replied in a sort of eloquent shock.

            The potions were simple enough, so they were done in about 2 hours. He took a quick shower and changed clothes, deciding that it wouldn't be a good idea to stay in the same clothes without showering for more than a day. When he returned with the potions, Madam Pomfrey had repaired the bones in her broken wrist and healed most of the cuts and bruises that practically covered her small body. Severus dabbed the creamy anti-swelling potion on her slightly swollen cheek and also on her wrist. Madam Pomfrey then wrapped her hand and wrist in a lightweight immobilizing bandage and finally dressed her in a long gauzy nightgown. Hermione shifted a little at the movement, but was comfortably sleeping again in a few moments. Severus stood up and moved to the door.

            "Don't you want to stay and wait until she wakes up, Severus?"

            "She won't want to see me when she wakes up. I'm going to get Potter. He will want to see her."

            Madam Pomfrey just watched as Severus left looking rather sad. He went to the Great Hall as it was now breakfast time. He sauntered over to where Harry was sitting at the Gryffindor table. Placing a cold hand on his shoulder, Severus caused Harry to jump a bit as he turned around.

            "Mr. Potter, I believe I had a promise to you which I have kept. Miss Granger is in the Hospital Wing, sleeping, if you wish to see her. Madam Pomfrey had to immobilize her severely broken wrist and she's a bit bruised, but our dear Miss Granger will be fine."

            Severus continued walking as soon as he had finished speaking. Harry stood up and briskly walked to catch up with Severus.

            "Professor Snape!" Harry called and Severus stopped. "I umm, I wanted to thank you for keeping your promise and taking care of Hermione. I mean, it was very nice of you to risk your life to bring her back."

            "As I told you earlier, Potter, I do not hate you or Miss Granger."

            Harry went quickly to the Hospital Wing and sat next to Hermione. He just sat there, watching her sleep, and holding her good hand. After a few hours, he turned his chair to look out the window. Of course, Hermione woke up as Harry was looking out the window with his back to her. All she could see through a sleepy haze was a dark robe and dark hair. Through her tiredness and pain, she reached out with the hand that didn't hurt incredibly and touched him on the shoulder. 

            "Severus?"


	10. A Fight and a Confession

Love Everlasting

Chapter 10

Disclaimer: The characters belong to JK Rowling, not me.

            "Severus?" Hermione asked through a pain and sleep induced haze which was slowly becoming clearer.

            Harry turned around and took Hermione's hand. "No, it's Harry," he said softly. "How are you feeling?"

            "My whole body hurts, but my hand hurts the most. Why aren't you with Professor Proteja?"

            "He gave me the day off. Anyway, you got hurt last night, how was I not supposed to be here? Oh, here comes Madam Pomfrey. I'm sure she has something that will make your hand stop hurting."

            Madam Pomfrey came over and began fussing over Hermione. She checked her pulse and made sure that she'd taken care of all of Hermione's internal injuries. Harry told Madam Pomfrey that Hermione's hand was hurting her pretty bad and she produced a small glass bottle. She made Hermione take a sip of the pink liquid; it chilled her all the way down, but did dull the pain. 

            "Why did you call me Severus?"

            "From behind you looked like him. I was kind of blurry anyway; everything looked funny."

            "But why would you want him to be here anyway? He's our Potions Professor for Merlin's sake!"

            "Harry, he saved my life!! Of course I'd want him to be here. I want to thank him for risking his life to save mine! Is there something wrong with that, Harry? You know that if it had been any other professor, you wouldn't care that I want to thank them. It's just that you hate Professor Snape!"

            "Fine, so you wanted to thank him, but why did you say Severus instead of Professor Snape?"

            "It slipped, okay? Calm down, please!"

            "Something like that doesn't slip, Hermione! Especially since you've never called him that before!"

            "I've called him that the entire summer," she muttered under her breath.

            "What? What was that you said?"

            "I said that I've called him that the entire summer! He told me that I could call him Severus and I let him call me Hermione. Is there something so wrong with that?"

            "What is going on between you two? What has that man done to you?"

            "He hasn't done anything to me, Harry! If you must know, I've been seeing Severus the whole summer. But we broke it off last night, which is why I was in the hall so late. I was going back to my rooms when I was kidnapped."

            Hermione had never seen Harry so angry before. Ron was usually the one that lost his temper. He stood at the foot of the bed, not believing that his best friend was romantically involved with their Potions Professor. Harry stormed out of the room, not saying any more to her. Hermione tried to get up and follow after him, but a sharp pain cutting through her chest made her collapse back onto the bed, tears streaming down her face. The next person that entered her curtained-off area was Dumbledore. He sat on the edge of the bed and cautiously rubbed her knee. He just sat there while she cried; his presence comforted her a little. After a while, she stopped crying and wiped away her tears. 

            "Are you alright, Miss Granger?"

            "Yes, Professor Dumbledore, I just sat up too quickly and my chest hurt. I'm fine now. Thank you."

            "Is there anything I can get for you? Anything at all. Are you possibly hungry?"

            "Is Professor Snape busy? I would like to talk to him."

            "It's Professor Snape today, is it? It was Severus all summer, if I recall correctly. Did you two have a lover's quarrel?"

            "More than a quarrel, Professor. But I need to speak to him and thank him for rescuing me."

            "He is already on his way with some breakfast for you. I figured that you would want to speak to him once you were awake."

            "Thank you for coming to see me. And thank you for coming to save me last night."

            "You're most welcome, my dear Miss Granger."

            Dumbledore rose and strolled out of the room and back to his office. Shortly after Dumbledore left, Severus showed up with a bed tray containing a silver-lidded platter and a small carafe of orange juice. He put the tray on the floor and sat in a chair next to the bed and tried to take her hand. But Hermione turned on her side, away from him.

            "Thank you for coming to my rescue and thank you for bringing me breakfast. That is all I have to say to you, Professor Snape."

            "Please, you have no idea how terrible I feel because of what happened last night."

            "I'm sure you do! You lost someone to sleep with. I lost the use of my wand hand for who knows how long! I hardly think it compares, Sir."

            "I understand that you're immensely angry with me, and I only want to let you know that I accept the fact that what happened to you is entirely my fault. Anything you want from me, ever, is yours. I'm so sorry, Hermione, so sorry. Never did I expect any harm to come to you. I don't expect you to accept my apology, but I simply want you to know that I am truly sorry."

            Severus picked up the tray, putting it on Hermione's bedside table, and turned to leave.

            "Tell me why you told me it was over. Why you ended it last light. Why you strung it along for three months and then cut off our relationship like it was nothing."

            Hermione turned to face him as he sat back down. She looked into his eyes, daring him to tell her the truth. He closed his eyes or a moment and took a deep breath.

            "I didn't want to end our relationship, but I thought that when classes started you wouldn't want to be with me anymore. I was going to end it sooner, but you made me so happy. Happy like no one has ever made me. And I liked the feeling of you sleeping in my arms, your soft hair against my cheek, your skin warm against mine, feeling your heart beat against me chest. All those feelings made me feel like a person."

            "You could have asked me how I felt. And I would have told you….told you….that I still love you. And….I….will love you….forever."

            Hermione turned back on her side away from Severus, sobbing softly into her pillow. Severus gently brushed her hair off her cheek and carefully rubbed her back. When her sobs subsided, she turned on her back to face him again and yawned.

            "Why don't you go back to sleep. I'll find Poppy for some more Dreamless Sleep potion."

            "Thank you, Severus."

            Severus headed off to find Madam Pomfrey and returned a few minutes later with a small bottle. Madam Pomfrey followed shortly after. 

            "Now, Hermione, since I suspect you will be staying here for a little while, would you like a private room. Classes are starting tomorrow and there

s bound to be an accident, even on the first day."

            "That would be lovely, Madam Pomfrey. Thank you so much."

            Severus gently lifted Hermione off the bed and carried her into a private room behind Madam Pomfrey's bedchambers. He laid her on the large, king-size bed and covered her with the blue and white quilt. Before taking a sip of the Dreamless Sleep potion, Hermione looked to Severus, who was heading to leave. 

            "Will you stay with me?" 

            Severus came over to her and sat on the bed. "Does this mean that you accept my apology?"

            Hermione just nodded and Severus lay down next to her. He wrapped his arms around her, being very mindful of her injuries. Without even taking a sip of the Dreamless Sleep potion, Hermione fell asleep and had only pleasant dreams. And Severus actually slept for the first time in a week, now that a huge burden had been lifted from his mind. Hermione loved him, he loved her, and nothing could change that.


	11. The Sorting Ceremony

Love Everlasting

Chapter 11

Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns the characters in this story, but I own the plot. Thank you.

            Severus woke up before Hermione and he looked at the clock. They had about an hour until the Sorting Ceremony started. Hermione could easily be excused from the ceremony, but Severus had to be there. He softly kissed her cheek and her eyes fluttered open. She smiled at him moved to kiss him back, but it hurt too much when she tried to turn to face him. She cried out and Severus quickly sat up, moving away from her to make sure he wasn't hurting her.

            "Are you alright? Did I hurt you?" the concern was heavy on his voice.

            "I'm okay, Severus. I just moved the wrong way."

            "Let me get you some more pain potion."

            Hermione nodded and he uncorked the bottle on the bedside table. She took a sip; the pink liquid chilled all the way down again. The pain subsided and she smiled. Severus sat on the edge of the bed, holding her hand. 

            "The Sorting Ceremony's in an hour. I have to go, but you don't need to be there unless you want to. And don't say you're going because it is the Head Girl's duty to be at the ceremony." 

            "I want to go, I really do. This is my last Sorting Ceremony as a student. But I'm going to need some help. Can you find Harry for me and then get me some clothes from my rooms? The password is "perfunctory" and I don't care what you bring, as long as it's comfortable. I'll have my robes on, so no one will be able to see what I'm wearing anyway."

            "You're doing this to try to make me become friends with Mr. Potter, aren't you? I doubt he will allow that, but I will find him and tell him to come here."

            "He might not to come because he and I got into a fight this morning. Tell him I'm sorry for yelling at him, please?"

            Severus nodded to let her know that he would and he left the room. Madam Pomfrey entered shortly thereafter and helped Hermione sit comfortably as she braided her chocolate brown hair. Poppy just finished tying the white ribbon at the end of Hermione's braid when Harry entered, looking a bit sullen. He sat in a chair near the bed, staring into the fire. Hermione shifted a little so she could see Harry. 

            "Listen, Hermione, I…"

            "Wait, Harry. Let me say something first please. I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier. I wasn't expecting you to get so angry. It scared me and I guess I was being defensive. But before you say anything, I've got to tell you the truth. Severus and I are back together. I'm not asking you to be his best friend. I'm only asking you to accept the fact that we're together. If you want, I won't say anything about him and me to you. Okay? Can we be friends again?"

            "He really makes you happy, Hermione?"

            "Yes, Harry, he does. More happy than I've ever felt before."

            "Then who am I to stand in your way? You're my best friend, Mione, and if being with Severus Snape makes you happy, then I'm happy for you."

            Hermione smiled and Harry carefully hugged her. Now that their friendship had been renewed, Hermione had a difficult question to ask Harry.

            "Harry, now this is pretty hard for me to do. You know that I've never asked anyone for help before. I want to go to the Sorting Ceremony, but I'm going to need some help."

            "Okay, what kind of help do you need?"

            "I don't know how steady I am on my feet and I need you to walk with me."

            "I'll help you, but how are you going to make it down the stairs? I mean, what if the staircase starts to move and you fall? I would feel really horrible if you fell and got hurt more." 

            "Severus will help me down the stairs. He'd help me the whole way, but I'm sure he doesn't want the entire student body to find out about our relationship just yet. The staff doesn't know either, well, except Professor Dumbledore and he won't tell anyone."

            "You bet, Mione. Sounds like a good plan to me. I'll wait outside and tell Madam Pomfrey to let me know when you're ready."

            "Thanks Harry."

            Harry was leaving when Severus returned with Hermione's clothes. Severus put a quick locking charm on the door and pulled back the quilt, helping Hermione to the edge of the bed. Slowly, and with gentility that no one could imagine possible for Severus, he helped Hermione get dressed in a loose red sweater, a pair of black sweatpants, and her robes. When he finished tying the laces of her sneakers, he laced his arm under her armpits and helped her stand up.

            "Are you alright, Hermione?"

            "I'm fine so far. Thank you for helping me."

            "I would do anything for you. Now come on, Potter's waiting."

            Severus and Hermione walked slowly as her legs were very unsteady. They made their way to the outer waiting room and Harry stood up, smiling. Harry and Severus traded places, so Hermione was leaning on Harry. Severus looked at Hermione as if to ask, 'Does he know about us?' to which Hermione replied by nodding. 

            "Be careful with her, Potter."  

            "Don't worry, Professor. She means a lot to me too." 

            Harry and Hermione carefully walked to the stairs. Hermione leaned on the balustrade and waited for Severus. He picked her up and carried her down the stairs. Gently putting her down, Harry helped Hermione into the still empty Great Hall. As if on cue, when Hermione was sitting comfortably all the second through seventh year students came filing in and sat at their proper house tables. Hermione was sitting at the head of Gryffindor's table, with Harry and Ron on either side. When Ron saw the bandage on her hand, he went a little nuts.

            "What happened to you, Hermione? Are you alright?"

            "I'm fine, Ron. A little sore, but I'll be fine."

            "But what happened? Who did this to you?"

            "Ron, shush. The ceremony's starting."

            The Sorting Hat started his song, but Hermione didn't get to hear it. She was too busy trying to get Ron to be quiet; he kept trying to find out what happened. He quieted down when the actual sorting started. They all cheered from "Armhold, Heather" to "Zolin, Frederick". The new Gryffindors seemed to be every bit as ambitious as the seventh years that would be graduating in May. Dumbledore stood up and everyone quieted.

            "Welcome, friends, old and new. As this exciting new year begins, I have some announcements to make. As usual, the Dark Forest is off limits to all students. Also, and this is most important, no student is to be out of their room after hours. Any student found out of their room will be severely punished. In case of dire emergencies, a short range owl system has been set up. These owls are trained to locate any professor on duty patrolling the hallways. I am warning you now. Do not be out of your rooms unless accompanied by a professor! Not that that matter has been taken care of, I would like to introduce the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Professor Gorge Proteja. I would like you all to give Professor Proteja a warm Hogwarts welcome."

            Everyone began to clap and cheer. Dumbledore held up his hands and everyone quieted again.

            "And now, without further ado, dinner is served."

            Dumbledore clapped his hands and an extravagant dinner appeared before their eyes. With some difficulty and a little pain, Hermione managed to eat some mashed potatoes and carrots, but was unable to cut her lamb chops with one hand. The bread pudding was easy enough to handle, but she was still hungry when dinner was over. Dumbledore asked the prefects to show the students to their respective common rooms and told them to have a good night. Harry and Ron offered to help Hermione back to the Hospital Wing, but she knew that Severus would be lingering to help her.

            "Okay, should Ron and I come and get you for breakfast tomorrow?"

            "Thanks, Harry, but I think I'll have breakfast in the Hospital Wing. It would be great if you could come after breakfast so I could go to Transfiguration."

            "You want to go to class? No offense, but what are you going to be able to do?"

            "None taken, Professor McGonagall has some Quick-Notes Quills that she said I could have. That way, I can still go to class even though I can't really do much. Oh, and Harry, if Severus isn't at breakfast, when you bring Ron to the Hospital Wing, make him wait in the hallway."

            "G'night, Mione."

            "Night Harry."

            Harry smiled and gave Hermione a hug. Once the room had cleared except for the professors, Severus walked over to Hermione, putting his hand on her shoulder. 

            "How was your dinner, Hermione?"

            "I didn't fare too well with the lamb tonight, so I'm still hungry. Maybe I could get a sandwich or something easy to eat."

            "If it is a sandwich you want, a sandwich you shall get."

            Severus found the nearest house-elf and got Hermione a turkey and swiss sandwich. He sat next to her as she ate the sandwich. While they were sitting there, Professor McGonagall approached Dumbledore.

            "Albus, now tell me the truth. What is going on with Severus? He actually appears to be, well, not so sullen and depressed. Is he happy seeing Miss Granger in pain?"

            "Quite the contrary, Minerva. She makes him quite happy."

            "You're not saying that they…."

            "Yes, Miss Granger and Severus are, as you would put it, romantically involved. I'm very glad for the both of them. They are perfect for each other."

            "How can you say that, Albus? He's completely wrong for any human being with feelings owing to the fact that he has none!"

            "Just look at them. All he sees is her when they're together. Our dear Miss Granger is good for Severus. She makes him happy and it has been so long since Severus has truly been happy."

            "I suppose you're right. It is nice to see Severus happy for once."

            Dumbledore and McGonagall left Severus and Hermione alone and headed off to patrol the halls. Once she finished her sandwich, Hermione turned to Severus, smiling. Severus stood up and pulled her chair away from the table. 

            "Ready to go?"

            "Yes, thank you," Hermione said through a yawn.

            "Seems like someone is going to fall asleep in the Great Hall if she doesn't get back to her room."

            Hermione smiled as Severus helped her get up. He scooped her up in his arms; she wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her head on his shoulder. Hermione fell asleep as Severus carried her up the stairs. Madam Pomfrey just smiled when she saw Hermione sleeping peacefully in Severus' arms. He took her into her room and laid her gently on the bed. With a wave of his wand, he changed her sweater, sweatpants, and robes into a summery nightgown. Severus took off his robes and pulled off his shirt. Then he got into bed next to Hermione, pulling the quilt over them. Hermione seemed to sense Severus lying next to her and she snuggled in closer to him. Severus draped his arm around her waist and fell asleep, smiling. 


	12. A Nightmare

Love Everlasting

Chapter 12

Disclaimer: JK Rowling's characters, my plot. 

            Hermione woke up in the middle of the night screaming, fighting to get out of Severus' arms. She pulled away from him and huddled in a ball near the edge of the bed. Severus woke up when he heard her crying. He sat up and inched closer to her, trying to touch her arm. Hermione tightened her arms around her knees, trying to curl up into herself and disappear. Severus moved a little closer to Hermione and she quickly curled herself up on his lap. He cautiously wrapped his arms around her sobbing, shaking body. Her sobs slowed and she rested her head on his shoulder. Brushing the hair out of her eyes, Severus tipped Hermione's chin up to look into her eyes.

            "Tell me what's the matter."

            "I had a bad dream."

            "That was no ordinary bad dream, Hermione. Was it about being tortured by the Death Eaters?"

            "Well, yes and no."

            "Whatever it is, you can tell me."

            Hermione shook her head and buried her face in his chest, still crying softly. He rubbed her back for a little while before trying again.

            "Please, Hermione, talk about it. I've held back too much, not talked about what was bothering me. And you've seen the way I act when I'm around people. You don't want to turn into an antisocial, sullen, moody person, do you?"

            "No, but I don't think I'm ready to talk about it yet."

            "Alright, I'm here when you're ready."

            Hermione nodded and reached for the bottle of Dreamless Sleep potion on the bedside table. Severus lay on his back with Hermione's head on his chest. She took a sip of the potion and fell back to sleep. He kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep with a content grin on his face. A few hours later, just before breakfast, Madam Pomfrey entered the room, smiling when she saw Hermione curled up against Severus. Madam Pomfrey nudged his shoulder gently to wake him up. He opened his eyes, moving to get up, but lay back down when he felt that Hermione was still using him as a pillow. 

            "I take it that you will not be at breakfast, Professor."

            "No, Poppy, I doubt that I will be able to attend breakfast. Dumbledore will understand."

            "This fire is connected to the Hogwart's floo, isn't it?"

            "Yes it is, so you can stay here for a while longer before going to breakfast, or you could skip breakfast altogether and go straightaway to your first class."

            "Thanks, Poppy."

            Madam Pomfrey left the room and Severus busied himself by playing with her hair that was fanned out across his chest. She murmured and draped her injured arm sleepily around his waist. He gently rubbed her back, simply enjoying the feeling of her breath on his stomach. Then, looking at the clock, Severus saw that time had passed much more quickly than he'd thought. He slid out from under her and pulled the quilt up to keep her warm. Hermione whimpered, knowing that Severus was no longer beside her.

            "Ssshhh Hermione. I will be back later. Just get some sleep."

            Hermione fell back into a deeper sleep as Severus tossed a pinch of "Williamson's Squeaky Clean Floo Powder" into the fire. He stepped into the fire, saying "potions classroom" and stepped out into his classroom. Dashing into his private office, Severus changed into a clean, but identical outfit and a new set off robes. He flipped through the fourth-year potions textbook, trying to decide what the new fourth years should brew. They were too inexperienced with boomslang skin to make a Polyjuice Potion. An Eagle-Eye Potion on page 35 should be simple enough for their first potion. Then he looked over the attendance list for this class. Ah yes, Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors are an excellent combination. The students filed in, rather sullen about the fact that their first class back was potions. 

            "As I'm sure you all recall, any foolish wand-waving will result in loss of House Points. Now, you will be making an Eagle-Eye Potion found on page 35 in your text. This potion has been used by many Aurors who wish to spy from a distance because it enhanced your sight by an increment relating to the size of the dose. You may begin."

            The class began flipping through pages and brewing the potion. Severus sat down and watched over the class. He saw every student working on their potions, but his mind was thinking about Hermione, who was supposed to be coming to his class next.

            After breakfast, Harry and Ron went to the Hospital Wing to get Hermione. Harry managed to convince Ron to sit in the waiting room, since Severus wasn't at breakfast. He went inside and asked Madam Pomfrey if Hermione was ready to go to class. 

            "Mr. Potter, Miss Granger is still sleeping and will not be attending her classes today. You have all of your classes together, yes?"

            "Yes, Madam Pomfrey."

            "Then will you please let your Professors know that she will not be attending classes? Also, tell Professor Snape that she is fine, as I believe that he will be worried why she's not in class."

            "I certainly will, Madam Pomfrey. Professor Snape will be content to know that she is alright."

            Madam Pomfrey nodded and smiled at Harry. He went into the waiting room; Ron was flipping through his Transfiguration text.

            "Where's Hermione?"

            "She's sleeping, so she won't be coming to class today. Are you ready?"

            "Yup."

            Harry and Ron got to Transfiguration a little early to let Professor McGonagall know why Hermione wasn't going to be in class. She said that it was fine, since she'd done most of the transfiguring that would be done in class over the summer. Harry and Ron took notes that were as neat as possible so Hermione could actually read them; that would make her happy. When class was over, Harry and Ron went downstairs to the Potions classroom where Professor Snape was sitting at his desk, facing the wall. Harry knocked on the wooden portrait frame to get Severus' attention. Severus spun his chair to face the door and the two boys standing there.

            "Well, Potter and Weasley, where is Miss Granger to complete the trio?"

            "She won't be attending class today, Professor. Madam Pomfrey said that she was still sleeping and wouldn't be coming to class."

            "Very well, at least she will not be here to assist Longbottom. Maybe for once he can make a potion on his own."

            Ron started turning red with anger. Harry convinced him to wait outside while he dealt with Severus. He sat down at his and Ron's work table and looked up at Severus.

            "Alright, Potter, I know Hermione was sleeping when I left, but is that the true reason why she is missing her classes or is something wrong?" Harry saw a look of concern flash in Severus' eyes.

            "Madam Pomfrey wanted me to tell you that she's fine, just sleeping. So you really love Hermione?"

            "Not that it's any of your business, but yes I do. Any more prying personal questions, Potter?" Severus glared at Harry.

            "No more questions, Professor." Harry said with a smile. "Just take good care of her, please."

            "You have no need to worry. I trust that you will accept my promise."

            "Yes sir. I trust you, especially when it comes to keeping your promises."

            The class filed in and a much calmer Ron sat next to Harry. Neville looked incredibly worried when he saw that Hermione wasn't there. Severus strode around the room, glaring at the seventh-years sitting in his classroom.

            "I don't need to remind you that any silly wand-waving is frowned upon, which will result in a loss of House Points. Seeing as the year has just started, a loss of House Points will probably put your house in the negative range. You will be making a Padresa Potion today, located on page 59 of your texts. This potion will, when you look in a mirror, make you see yourself as either your father if you are male or your mother if you are female. Now you may begin, and would I suggest, Mr. Longbottom, that you follow the directions slowly and carefully. It is a simple potion, but made incorrectly will make you become a beetle."

            Neville's eyes became wide with fright as he opened his textbook. Harry anxiously began making the potion, following the directions with great care. He wanted to see for sure what his father looked like. Ron knew what his dad looks like, but he carefully made the potion nonetheless. At the end of the class, Severus called everyone to stand in front of his large mirror, drink a small amount of their potion, and look into the mirror. Their grade for the day would be based upon what they saw in the mirror. The clearer the image, the higher their grade would be. All the Slytherins went first. Most of their reflections were relatively clear, with a few fuzzy images. Next was the Gryffindors turn. The result was mostly the same for them, but Neville was called last to go. As he stepped before the mirror, a look of pure terror was on his face. 

            "Now Mr. Longbottom, let's see if you make a lovely beetle."

            Neville took a sip of his potion and to his great surprise as well as everyone else's, he didn't turn into a beetle or any odd creature. When he looked in the mirror, a huge smile crossed his face.

            "I see my dad! It really looks like my dad in the mirror! Wow, I mean, it's kind of fuzzy, but it's my dad alright."

            "Congratulations, Mr. Longbottom. It appears that you actually produced a functional Padresa Potion. You have passed for once without the assistance of Miss Granger. Class is dismissed."

            Everyone left the room, except Harry. He stood there looking into the mirror for a little while. Severus came up behind Harry and put a hand on his shoulder. Harry turned around to look at Severus. 

            "You look just like your father. He and I may not have ever gotten along, but James was a good man. He would be proud of you." Harry just looked at Severus, unable to come up with anything to say to him. He was shocked that Severus was actually being nice to him. After a few moments, Harry broke the silence.

            "Thank you, Professor. Nobody has ever told me that I look like my dad, or that he'd be proud of me. Thank you."

            Severus just nodded with his usual stern look on his face. "I will tell Hermione that you will come by after lunch to see if she is able to attend classes. Now go to lunch before I take House Points."

            Harry ran off to the Great Hall. Ron just looked at him with a quizzical look on his face. Harry told him not to worry about why he was late for lunch. They ate and talked to the other Gryffindors during lunch. All the seventh year Gryffindors were congratulating Neville on making a good potion and proving Severus wrong. Severus skipped lunch in the Great Hall and brought some soup and sandwiches to Hermione's room in the Hospital Wing. Knocking softly on the door, he entered her room. She was trying to "swish and flick" with her immobile wrist to make a blanket fly over to her, but it wasn't working and she only succeeded in frustrating herself to tears. Severus put down the tray and cautiously sat on the bed next to Hermione. He took her wand from her hand and pulled her into a warm embrace. 

            "I can't deal with this! It's not fair! I just want to be better and go back to my normal life!" Hermione said through her tears.

            "Hermione, please just take it easy. Your wrist will heal; give it time. Here, have something to eat."

            Severus levitated the tray over to the bed, but Hermione shook her head.

            "I was to eat at the table. I'm sick of being in this bed."

            Hermione slid slowly to the edge of the bed and stood up with the help of a crutch that Madam Pomfrey had left for her. She made her way to the table slowly as Severus watched; ready to catch her if she fell. He set the table after Hermione was comfortable in her chair. They ate at the small table, talking about what Hermione wanted to do with her life after graduation.

            "I have good news for you, Hermione."

            "What? Come on! Tell me, Severus."

            "Well, today your classmates made a Padresa Potion. You're familiar with its effects?" Hermione nodded. "Then you also know that if made incorrectly will turn the person into a beetle. I am very pleased to say that Mr. Longbottom made the potion today successfully and without incident."

            "Really! I knew he could do it!"

            They finished their lunch and as Severus was tidying up, Harry and Ron knocked on the door. Hermione gave Severus a long, passionate kiss before he disappeared through the fireplace to go plan for his next class. Her two best friends came into the room and gave her a big group-hug. 

            "So, Mione, are you coming to class this afternoon?"

            "Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures? Yeah, it sounds like simple enough class work to me."

            "I'll carry your books and Harry can make sure you don't fall, okay?"

            "Alright, Ron. Thanks for carrying my books."

            Ron picked up her books and headed out of the room, down the stairs, and outside to the Greenhouses. Harry zipped Hermione's robe and she hobbled out of the Hospital Wing, using Harry to steady herself as she went down the stairs. They went outside and to the Seventh-Year Greenhouses. All of the other Gryffindors were smiling when se and Harry entered the Greenhouse. Hermione sat next to Neville, as she did in nearly every class. He gave her a quick hug and was smiling with an ear-to-ear grin.

            "I made a good potion today, Hermione! I actually made the potion correctly and I passed! And I did it all by myself!"

            "Congratulations, Neville, now will you help me with this class? I can't really do much with this hand." Hermione held up her immobile hand.

            "Of course I will. I'd do anything for you."


	13. A Secret Revealed

Love Everlasting

Chapter 13

Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns the characters; I'm not making any money writing this story.

            Neville helped Hermione throughout Herbology; she noticed that he seemed a lot more confident. Was it because he finally made a correct potion or because of something different? It made Hermione very happy to see Neville with some confidence. She walked with him to Care of Magical Creatures, talking about their summers and whatnot. Hagrid's face lit up when he saw Hermione walking on her own with just the help of a crutch.

            "'Allo, 'Ermione! Good ta see yer up an about. We're gonna be talkin' to one of the centaurs today. He agreed to come outta the Dark Forest and tell us about livin in the Dark Forest."

            "That sounds great, Hagrid. Is there someplace I could sit down? I still get tired pretty easily."

            "Sure, 'Ermione. Yer can sit on me steps. Everybody else is gonna be sittin' in dat area anyhow."

            Hermione sat down and got comfortable wile the rest of the Gryffindors and the Slytherins came outside. Once Hagrid got them all sitting down and relatively quiet, he got the centaur, named Dualo (pronounced Doo-lo), from behind his house. As soon as Dualo saw Hermione, a grim look crossed his face.

            "The girl, there!" he said, pointing to Hermione. "The one that was kidnapped by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named! She sits here and makes this group unsafe!"

            Everyone turned and looked at Hermione; Dualo ran off back into the Dark Forest. Then, everyone started talking at once, all directed at Hermione.

            "Why didn't you tell us? Is it really true? What did He do to you? Do you think he's still looking for you?....etc"

            Hermione tried to dodge the questions, and then she tried to ignore them. She got up and headed back to the castle as quickly as she could, which wasn't very fast. Tears were streaming down her face when Harry and Ron caught up with her. Harry wrapped his arm around her waist because she was getting a little shaky. Ron really just wanted to ask more questions. As they were walking into the castle, Ron started asking all the questions that Hermione had just been bombarded with.

            "Is it really true, Hermione, that you were kidnapped by You-Know-Who? What did he do to you? How did you get away?"

            Harry stopped, as did Hermione, who was heavily leaning on him now, still crying a lot. He spun around and looked at Ron angrily.

            "Can't you see that she's been through enough, Ron! I thought you were her friend, but you're doing absolutely nothing to comfort Hermione. You're just trying to ask more questions! Now if you're not going to shut up and stop asking all these stupid questions, go back to class."

            Ron just stood there for a moment, watching Harry and Hermione go back into the castle. Then he headed back to Hagrid's, sat on the steps where Hermione has been, and simply listened to everyone else talking about Hermione. Meanwhile, Harry was sitting with Hermione on the stairs leading to the Hospital Wing. Hermione was too exhausted from crying and trying to walk faster than she should have been and Harry didn't want to leave her alone. After a little while, Professor McGonagall, who had a free period, came out of her classroom. She saw Hermione sobbing into Harry's robes and Harry simply holding his best friend, rubbing her back. 

            "Mister Potter, will you please tell me what has happened here?"

            "Well, Professor, we were in Care of Magical Creatures and the centaur that was supposed to be telling us about living in the Dark Forest saw Hermione and told everyone that she had been kidnapped by Voldemort." McGonagall winced at the name. "Sorry, and everyone started asking her questions which overwhelmed her I guess. She left the class and I followed her to make sure she was okay. Then Ron and I got into a fight because he followed too, but he kept asking more questions. I yelled at him, which probably made her more upset. We made it to the steps, but I can't help Hermione up the stairs by myself and she's too exhausted to really walk herself."

            "Alright, Mr. Potter. Thank you for caring so much about Miss Granger. I will go find someone that can be of more help."

            "Thanks! Why not ask Professor Snape? I'm sure he could make Hermione feel better."

            McGonagall smiled as she headed down to the potions dungeon. She entered the room cautiously and went straight to his desk when he nodded that it was safe to enter. Bending to whisper in his ear, McGonagall blocked Severus from view when she spoke to him.

            "Something has happened and Miss Granger needs your help. She's waiting for you with Mr. Potter at the foot of the stairs to the Hospital Wing. I will stay and watch the rest of your class."

            "Thank you, Minerva. I owe you one."

            McGonagall sat down, watching the class as Severus moodily sauntered out of the classroom. He practically ran up to the front foyer where Hermione and Harry were waiting. When he saw Severus, Harry whispered to Hermione that Severus was here. Severus knelt in front of Hermione; Harry dutifully moved Hermione from his embrace to Severus'. 

            "Thanks for coming so quickly, Professor Snape. I'll umm take her crutch upstairs."

            Severus nodded and Harry ran off upstairs. He put Hermione's crutch in her room and headed back outside to see f he could talk some sense into Ron. Hermione buried her face in his robes as Severus gently lifted her into his arms. He carried her upstairs and into her room. Luckily there were no students in the Hospital Wing; the first day had gone off without any injuries. Severus sat on the bed with Hermione in his lap. She shifted a little so she could look at him.

            "I'm sorry, Severus, to have made you leave your class and come help me. I must be becoming a burden on you and if you want to call us off, that's alright with me."

            "How could you say something like that? I love you, Hermione; you shall never be a burden. Now tell me what has got you crying this time."

            "It's not important."

            "Yes it is important if you and Mr. Potter had to leave class, which you have only done once before. Come on and tell me or I will get a truth serum. Don't make me do that."

            "Alright, alright Severus. We were in Care of Magical Creatures, supposed to be talking to a centaur about living in the Dark Forest. But when the centaur saw me, he recognized me and told everyone, including your Slytherins, that I was kidnapped by Voldemort. Everyone started asking me questions at the same time and I was really overwhelmed so I left. Harry and Ron followed me; Harry wanted to help me, but Ron only wanted to ask more questions. So that made it even worse and the next thing I knew, I was sitting on the steps, crying into Harry's robes."

            "Well, now that the Slytherins know, it is safe to say that the entire school knows. There is not much that can be done to stop the questions, unless you would like to go to Dumbledore. It would require him to tell the entire school first about what happened to you, and then to tell the students not to ask you questions about your ordeal."

            "No, that would scare the younger students. I'd probably get a whole owlery full of Howlers and nasty letters from parents." There was a knock on the door. "Yes, who is it?"

            "Madam Pomfrey, dear. Might I come in?"

            "Yes Madam Pomfrey, you can come in."

            Poppy came into the room as Severus stood up to leave.

            "And where do you think you're going, Professor Snape? I still need your help. The muscles in your wrist should be healed enough, dear, so that I may take off the immobilizing bandage. Professor Snape, you remember what I did to help your wrists regain their strength?"

            "How could I forget? It was nearly as painful as the way my wrists were injured in the first place."

            "Alright, then I need you to assist Miss Granger in regaining the strength in her wrist. Does that sound like a good idea to you two?"

            "Yes Poppy," Severus replied.

            Hermione nodded and Poppy took her hand. She waved her wand and the bandage became flexible. Poppy patted Severus on the shoulder and left the room. He removed the bandage, being careful to hold her hand still. Severus gently massaged and manipulated her wrist. Hermione winced as he hit painful spots. When he was done for tonight, Severus rewrapped her wrist to give it some support. 

            "There, all done. I hope that I haven't hurt you overmuch." 

            "No, it didn't hurt too badly. Is it almost time for supper? I'm starving."

            "Dinner will be starting in about half an hour. Would you like to go speak with Dumbledore first?"

            "Not particularly, but I suppose that it is the only way to not be bombarded by endless questions."

            Hermione and Severus stood up. Slowly, but less shaky than before, Hermione headed out of the room. Severus set the usual malice-filled look on his face as he also left the room. They went through the corridors to Dumbledore's office. The password had changed (to "caramel apples"), but Severus knew it, as did all the professors. He led her up the stairs and into the office. Hermione sat down, but Severus just stood in the doorway, staring at the flickering fire. 

            "Ah, Miss Granger, Professor Snape, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"

            "Well, Professor, while I was in Care of Magical Creatures, the centaur told the entire class that I was kidnapped by Voldemort. And by now, I'm sure that the entire school knows. I cannot handle the constant questions that are going to be coming my way. Is there any way that you can help?"

            "Yes, I believe that I can be of some assistance. Tonight at supper, I will let the students know that it will be unacceptable to ask you constant questions. But I would suggest that you have your supper in your room. Is there anything else that I can assist you with?"

            "No, thank you, Professor, see you later"

            "Good bye. Professor Snape, is there anything I can do for you?"

            "No, sir, I simply came with Hermione. Would it be a problem if I were to have supper with her? I would like to keep her company."

            "Of course you may. Have fun!"

            Severus and Hermione went back to her room and sat at the table. He had asked a house-elf on the way back to bring dinner for two to Hermione's room. They had a lovely dinner and sat talking for a while until there was a knock on the door. Severus slipped into the bathroom, locking the door with a very powerful spell. Hermione went to the door.

            "Who's there?"

            "Hermione, it's Ron. Can I come in and talk to you?"


	14. The Garden and Another Nightmare

Love Everlasting

Chapter 14

Disclaimer: Jo Rowling owns these characters and the entire world of Harry Potter. I simply write a story about these characters.

            "Hermione, it's Ron. Can I come in and talk to you?"

            "Ron, I don't really want to talk to you right now, maybe tomorrow. I've cried enough today and I don't plan to start again."

            "Please, Hermione, I just want to apologize for hounding you earlier. I was stupid and I'm sorry that I made you cry. Professor Dumbledore told us that we can ask questions when you're ready to talk, but not to ask any right now. Well, I'm going to leave now. And I'm really sorry."

            "Bye Ron. See you tomorrow."

            Hermione heard Ron's footsteps fading as he left the Hospital Wing. Severus came out of the bathroom as Hermione sat on the bed. He stood her up and took her hand. She looked at him, wondering what was going on.

            "Don't worry. I'm taking you somewhere. You need to get out of here or I'm going to have an insane girlfriend on my hands. We're going by floo."

            Hermione smiled as they stepped into the flames after he tossed a large pinch of floo powder into the fire. He whispered something loud enough for the fire to hear, but not loud enough for Hermione. They stepped out of the flames into a small parlor with sparse furniture and dark walls. Hermione looked around with a great deal of skepticism.

            "Did you get the destination correct? I mean, this place looks like a dungeon. Not that I have anything against dungeons, but couldn't we have just gone to your rooms if you wanted to be in a dark, minimalist room?"

            "Calm down, Hermione. This isn't where I want to take you, but it's the closest fireplace. We're going outside."

            Severus opened the door and revealed to Hermione a beautiful garden. It was just after sunset and the sky was an amazing shade of deep violet. Hermione smiled, inhaling the scents coming from the thousands of blooming flowers. A small smile crossed Severus' face as he embraced Hermione from behind and he gently drummed his fingers on her stomach.

            "This is beautiful, Severus. Where are we?"

            "May I welcome you to my garden and my mansion. I hoped you would like it."

            "You amaze me. Never, ever would I have thought that you would have a garden like this."

            "I wouldn't be any fun if the sleeves of my robes did not contain some surprises. Now come along, Hermione, I am going to take you to my favorite spot in this garden."

            Hermione let him lead her through the garden until he reached a secluded corner of the garden with a swing overlooking a lake. They sat down and Severus wrapped his arm around her small waist, holding her close. He started gently swinging, letting memories from his happy times come back to him. Through his memories, he heard Hermione softly humming.          

            "What are you humming?"

            "Oh, I'm sorry. Guess I didn't realize I was humming. It's just a song from a record my mum played all the time when I was little."

            "You don't have to stop. Sing it for me, please."

            Hermione closed her eyes, remembering the song she hadn't sung since she was a child, and began to sing in a shy, but lovely, voice.

                        _My days are brighter than morning air_

_                        Evergreen pine and autumn blue_

_                        But all my days were twice as fair_

_                        If I could share my days with you_

_                        My nights are warmer than firecoals_

_                        Incense and stars and smoke bamboo_

_                        But nights were warm beyond compare_

_                        If I could share my nights with you_

_                        To dance in my dreams_

_                        To shine when I need the sun_

_                        With you_

_                        To hold me when dreams are done_

_                        And oh my dearest love_

_                        If you will take my love_

_                        Than all my dreams are truly begun_

_                        And time weaves ribbons of memory_

_                        That sweeten life when youth is through_

_                        But I would need no memories there_

_                        If I could share my life with you_

            When she finished singing, Hermione wrapped her arm across his stomach and gently squeezed. Severus tipped her chin up with his free hand to stare into her eyes. She looked downward, suddenly feeling incredibly shy. He leaned down slightly and softly kissed her. Hermione kissed him back ever so slightly, but he felt it. _Yes, he thought, __she is beginning to heal. He broke off the kiss, gently rubbing her cheek with his thumb. She smiled and snuggled closer to Severus, basking in the soft glow of the moon and yawning. Severus stood up with his arm still wrapped around Hermione's waist. They strolled back to the dark parlor and traveled by floo back to Hermione's room in the Hospital Wing. Hermione kicked off her shoes and pulled off her robes. Severus pulled back the covers and put his shoes, robes, shirt, and belt on one of the chairs. She crawled into bed after pulling off her skirt and sweater. Unbuttoning his pants, Hermione let Severus know that he was slightly overdressed. He lay next to her and pulled up the covers as she draped her arm across his chest and snuggled close. Severus kissed her forehead and they both fell asleep very content._

            Severus woke a few hours later to Hermione's tossing and turning. When he finally focused on her, she was crying out in her sleep.

            "No! Get off of me! Help me! Somebody please help me! Severus, where are you! Get away! Leave me alone!"

            She was having another nightmare. He held her firmly in his arms and tried to wake her up, shaking her gently.

            "Wake up, Hermione! Come on and wake up."

            After a few minutes, Hermione opened her eyes, crying with tears streaming down her face. Severus held her and stroked her hair as he gently rocked back and forth in an attempt to calm her down. He tipped up her chin to gaze into her eyes.

            "Tell me about your dream. Tell me about what happened that night."

            "I can't, Severus. I just can't. You would hate me if I told you what happened."

_            "I will never hate you! Never! You don't have to tell me, now or ever. But the sooner you start talking about what happened, the sooner you will be whole again. You're stronger than that night. Don't let those events force you to hide away forever. Be the strong-willed and beautiful person that I know you are."_

            "I was going back to my rooms, running through the halls, crying. So I guess I didn't hear someone coming up behind me. He put me in a full body-bind, grabbed me and we apparated to a huge mansion. Voldemort was there, and so was his Inner Circle. They tied me to a chair for a little while and started hitting me with Crutiatus. Then someone named McKelroy or something like that untied me and took all of my clothes. While two of them held me down, McKelroy ra….he….he raped me. I tried to stop him, but every time I moved, someone hit me with a Crutiatus. He did it to me twice before they got bored and cursed me some more. Then you came and rescued me."

            "I didn't come soon enough. This is all my fault. Because of me, you were kidnapped, tortured, and raped. I should have gotten there sooner. I'm sorry."

            "You can walk away now that you know what happened if you want to. No hard feelings if you don't want a girlfriend with major baggage."

            "I would still keep you even if your baggage could fill this entire castle. I love you, Hermione Granger, and nothing will change that, not now, not ever."

            Hermione clung to Severus and wept. She let out everything that she had been keeping inside; the fear that Severus would reject her when he found out that she was raped disappeared as he held her in his arms. The frustration of not telling anyone left her and she felt a little better inside. Hermione was still scared of being kidnapped and raped again; she'd probably have those nightmares for a long time, but she was at ease knowing that Severus would be there for her.

A/N: Well, I know it took a long time to get this chapter, but I had to move into my dorm which put my computer offline for a few days. Do you think I should end it here? Cuz if not, I have some ideas of what to do in a next chapter. Or I could continue it in a sequel. Please review and let me know whether I should continue on more chapters or a sequel. I'll go with the idea that gets the most votes. You can either email me your vote at LJeanne134@aol.com or leave it in a review. Thanks a lot and I really enjoyed writing this. Love ya! ~ Laura


	15. Talking to Parents

Love Everlasting

Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the ideas to create this story. JK Rowling owns the characters and their world.

A/N: Well, even after 2 days, the response for more was great! Thanks you everyone that let me know that I have to continue this story. You guys (and gals) are super! So here's some more of the story. In this chapter, it skips ahead about a month, with some big surprises for everyone. I hope you like it and PLEASE REVIEW!! I LOVE GETTING NEW REVIEWS!!!

            About a few months after Hermione's visit to the garden, she was getting along very well. She'd moved back into her rooms as Head Girl and had returned to her routine of studying for the NEWTs. To everyone around her, everything seemed to be back to normal. She would spend a few evenings a week with Severus, talking and playing chess. Nothing seemed amiss to him, but Hermione was worried. It had been nearly three months since she got her period. When it was first late, she thought that maybe it was stress, but the majority of the unusual stress was gone. Then as she watched a mother walking with her infant son in Hogsmeade, the idea hit her in the face like a freight train. _Oh no! I was raped. Maybe I'm pregnant! She thought and she ran back to Hogwarts as fast as she could, leaving Ron, Padma, Harry, and Ginny in Honeydukes with absolutely no idea what was going on._

            She ran into the Hospital Wing and nearly collapsed onto one of the beds, exhausted from running so far. Madam Pomfrey heard her run in and quickly came into the main rooms, drying her hands. When she saw Hermione not moving on the bed, she hurriedly checked her vital signs then, seeing that she was okay, let her rest on the bed for a little while. Madam Pomfrey went into her office and stepped through the fireplace into Severus' rooms. A shocked look crossed his face when he saw Poppy.

            "Come quickly," she said. "There's something wrong with Hermione."

            Poppy dashed back to her office via floo with Severus following quickly. He started to go into the main rooms, but Poppy motioned for him to stay put. He was about to object when Poppy stopped him.

            "You just stay here and listen. If she needs you, come out, but if it's a female problem, you probably wouldn't want to be here anyway."

            Severus conceded and plopped into a large armchair near the door. He heard Poppy talking to Hermione, but Hermione was speaking too softly for him to hear. After a few moments of silence, a furious Madam Pomfrey came bursting into the office. She put a silencing charm on the room and started screaming at Severus.

            "Do you have any idea what you have done to that poor girl?! How could you?! Snogging a student without using protection! You know that firstly, having sex with a student is against the rules of Hogwarts, but to do so and not use any protection! I thought you had more in that thickheaded skull of yours, but I guess you don't!"

            Severus was shocked. "I'm sorry, Poppy, but I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. Hermione and I never did anything like that, I assure you. Did you ask her what happened? Oh, and what is it that you think I did to her?"

            "Don't lie to me, Severus! I know exactly what you did! I didn't need to ask her what happened, she told me what was wrong and I put two and two together. I'll bet you didn't even think of the repercussions, just your own needs. And now you've gone and gotten the Head Girl pregnant!"

            Severus fell back into the chair; he didn't even realize that he stood up. He put his head in his hands and stared at the floor. Then he wiped a renegade tear from his face and stood back up.

            "Go and ask her what happened. She will tell you the truth since you won't believe me. I shall remain here to await your apology." 

            Poppy gave him an incredibly angry look before leaving the office. A few minutes later, a tearful Madam Pomfrey came back into the room. Severus was still standing where she left him; he didn't move partly from anger at Poppy's accusation and partly from the shock of finding out that Hermione was pregnant. She touched him on the arm, but couldn't look him in the face.

            "I'm sorry Severus. I overreacted greatly and for that I apologize. She about the rape the night she was attacked. You are free to go back to your rooms. This isn't your problem."

            "Never tell me that she is not my problem! I love her more than anything in this world, no matter what trouble she is going through. The child may not be mine, but Hermione still is."

            And with that, Severus left Poppy in her office and he went to see Hermione. The curtain was pulled around her bed and he could hear her soft cries. He pulled aside the curtain and sat on the edge of the bed. She was lying on her stomach, crying into the pillow. Severus gently rubbed her back and her crying lessened at his touch. She sat up, but stared at her hands, unable to look at him at all. 

            "I'm sorry that Madam Pomfrey dragged you into this. It has nothing to do with you. I'll be leaving school shortly and moving back in with my parents, well if they let me. If not, I don't know what I'll do, but I can't stay here"

            "No, Hermione, you cannot leave Hogwarts. You belong here; this is your home. With special circumstances, the Ministry of Magic will let you take your NEWTs early, which will give you time to relax. And I'm sure that you have read so far ahead that you could easily do the homework and pass the exams without having to go to class later on. It will work out. I promise."

            "But I'm scared, Severus. How am I going to be able to tell my parents?"

            "Do they know about your being kidnapped?"

            "No because if I had told them, they would have pulled me out of Hogwarts. I couldn't let that happen. But now I have to tell them that I was kidnapped, raped, attacked, and now I'm pregnant. Not to mention I'm dating my Potions Professor which will get you fired and me expelled faster than you can say Dumbledore."

            "Excuse me, but did I hear someone say my name? Ah, Severus so good to see you out of the dungeons. And Miss Granger, I hope you a feeling well."

            "Actually, Professor, I have some news that will cause some trouble."

            "I already know about your pregnancy, Hermione. There is no need to worry. I have a very special robe in my office just in case something like this should happen. Now normally, we don't see pregnancies here at Hogwarts because many years ago, before I was Headmaster, the previous Headmaster cast a very powerful charm on the castle. No one could become pregnant while inside the castle unless the two people were married. That way, any married couples could have children, but the students could not. Quite genius, actually. But should someone become pregnant off the Hogwarts grounds, like you have, the Headmaster created a special robe that will conceal the pregnancy, meaning you will look as you always do. I will get it for you. That is, unless you were planning to terminate the pregnancy."

            "I could never do that, Professor. There are so many families that want children very badly and cannot conceive. It would be wrong for me to destroy this gift of life, even if it was created in a criminal manner. But my parents aren't going to be very happy. Could you call them here and we could all talk?"

            "I shall contact them this very moment. They should arrive within 2 hours. I trust, Severus, that you will assist Hermione in whatever manner necessary."

            Severus nodded and walked Hermione to his rooms, where Severus still had a change of clothes for Hermione. She took a long, hot shower and changed into clean clothes. While she showered, Severus rummaged through his desk drawers until he found a small wooden box with the Snape family's crest carved in the lid. He opened it and examined the small ring inside. It was sterling silver with a diamond in the center and two emeralds on either side. It had been his great-grandmother's engagement ring and now it was his to give to Hermione. She came out of the bathroom in a set of deep pink dress robes with her hair still wet, looking amazingly beautiful. After a quick drying spell, she was ready to go physically, but mentally she was very nervous. 

            "I can't do this, Severus. There's no way that I can tell them that I was kidnapped, raped, and now I'm pregnant. There first question will be, who's the father, then they'll want to know when I'm going to marry the guy who raped me. My folks are very old-fashioned."

            "McKelroy is dead, Hermione, but would I be a suitable replacement?"

            "Severus, are you…."

            "Yes, Hermione, I am. I love you with everything that I am. Would you do me the great honor of becoming my wife?"

            "Oh Merlin, Severus, I don't know what to say. Of course I will marry you! That will at least pacify my parents a little."

            Severus pulled Hermione into a warm embrace and held her for a few moments before letting her go. He took her left hand in his and slipped the delicate ring on her finger. Her eyes grew wide when she saw the beautiful ring. Hermione started to say something, but Severus put his finger to her lips to stop her.

            "This ring belonged to my great-grandmother, Nicoletta Ann Snape. She left it to me when she died with the hope that I would find the perfect person to give it to. So now I am giving it to you, my love."

            He took her hand and they went to Dumbledore's office via floo. Hermione's parents hadn't arrived yet, but they would surely be there soon. Dumbledore had gotten a lavish tray of cakes and sandwiches from the kitchens and made a large pot of tea for everyone to share. Hermione was too nervous to eat, so she just quietly sipped her cup of tea. Severus held her hand, tracing lazy circles across her palm. After a few minutes, seemed like hours to Hermione, Professor McGonagall entered with Mr. and Mrs. Granger following closely behind. Dumbledore motioned for them to sit down and offered them each some tea. 

            "Mom, Dad, I have something to tell you that is going to be very hard for you to hear. About three months ago, I was kidnapped, tortured, and raped by members of Voldemort's Inner Circle."

            "Oh my god, Hermione! Are you alright?" her mother was practically screaming.

            "Well, yes, but there's something else, two something elses actually. First, which is hardest for me to say, I am pregnant. It's because of the rape, but I decided that I, I mean we, are going to keep the baby."

            Mrs. Granger's mood completely changed from concerned for her daughter's welfare to shocked to the point of anger. "What do you mean you're pregnant? And who is this we? If you mean we by you, your father, and I, you are completely mistaken. We will not take in this bastard child conceived from a criminal act! You will end this pregnancy right now!"

            "No, mother, I will NOT kill my baby. I may only be 17 years old, but in this country, that makes me an adult! And I will be alright because I am getting married to the most wonderful, caring man I have ever met."

            "Oh, really, Hermione? Who is this mystery man? Not the scum who raped you, I hope."

            "The man who raped me is dead, mother. I am engaged to Severus Snape. He will love this baby as his own even though it's not his. You should be happy for me. I'm in love and getting married to someone I'll be more than happy to spend my life with." 

            "Snape….Snape…..Isn't he your potions professor?"

            Hermione simply nodded; Mrs. Granger was silent, staring at Severus with a look more angry than even he could come up with when the third-years made simple potions explode.

            "Daddy, please say something. You're so quiet it's scaring me."

            "Well, sweetie, I can't say that I'm happy you were raped and are now pregnant, but you're going to be married. Your child will have a loving home, so I suppose that I am happy for you."

            "Sir, I thank you immensely for your approval. I swear on my life that I will treat Hermione with only the greatest amount of love and respect. She means the world to me, ma'am, and I hope that you can see past our age difference and the crimes committed against her to accept us."

            "I'm still not overjoyed with the fact that it took you three months to tell us what happened, but you are my only daughter and you are getting married to someone you truly love, so congratulations. I'm very pleased to meet you, Severus."

            Severus stood up and shook hands with his soon-to-be in-laws. Hermione hugged her parents and promised to let them know when the wedding would be. Mr. and Mrs. Granger left and went home with mixed feelings about their daughter's intentions to marry her potions professor. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief and hugged Severus tightly. She buried her face in his robes.

            "I'm so glad that's finally over."

            "As am I, Hermione. Now, shouldn't you go find Potter and Mr. Weasley to tell them?"

            Hermione sat up stiff and straight. "Oh Gods! Ron, he doesn't know yet."

A/N: Ooh! What happens in next? How will Ron react? Tune in next time for Chapter 16!


	16. Ron Flips Out and El Amor Verdad

Love Everlasting

Chapter 16

Disclaimer: Jo Rowling owns these characters, not me. The plot, however, is all mine!!!

            "Ron doesn't know, Severus. I never told him. Harry knows about you and me, and he's fine with us being together. But Ron has had the biggest crush on me since the beginning of 5th year. How am I going to tell him?"

            "They should be back from Hogsmeade right now. It is nearly dinner time. Maybe after eating it will be easier to tell Mr. Weasley of our relationship. And what of Miss Virginia Weasley? Does she know?"

            "Ginny knows about the attack and all that stuff, and I thinks she's figured out that I'm romantically involved with someone because she has mentioned that when she was looking for me in the library, I wasn't there. But she doesn't know that I'm pregnant or that it's you that I'm involved with."

            "Perhaps you should tell Miss Weasley and Mr. Potter before dinner. Then you would have some support other than myself when you approach Mr. Weasley."

            "That's a very good idea. Why didn't I think of that?"

            Severus just smiled and pulled her into a warm embrace. Hermione looked up into his eyes and kissed him softly. He pressed back forcefully and devoured her mouth with his tongue. She pulled away first, gasping for breath; Severus started kissing down her neck and Dumbledore cleared his throat to get their attention. They both sat up and moved a little apart. 

            "I have called Miss Virginia and Mr. Potter. They should be here shortly and unless you want them to discover you locked in a passionate embrace, I would suggest that you take a moment to relax."

            Just as Dumbledore finished speaking, as if on cue, Harry and Ginny entered the office, holding hands. They had only recently become a couple, but it was obvious that they were in love. They sat down across from Hermione and Severus, who were also holding hands, but very discreetly. Harry looked at Hermione questioningly, then at Severus. Harry didn't hate Severus anymore, just a slight disdain. Hermione inched her way to the edge of the sofa to speak.

            "Harry, what have you told Ginny about me before I go and tell her something she already knows."

            "I just told her that you were I love with Severus."

            "And that's cool with me, Mione. If you're happy, I'm happy for you."

            "Thanks, Gin. You have absolutely no idea how much your saying that means to me, but I have even bigger news for you too. First of all, I'm pregnant. Before you say anything, it's not Severus' baby. I got pregnant from being raped. But I'm going to keep the baby."

            "Oh Gods! Hermione, you're pregnant! Which one of them did it? I'll kill him before those damn dementors get to him!"

            "Please, Harry, calm down. He's already dead. I'm fine and everything will be okay."

            "Not to put a damper on things, but isn't being pregnant going to keep you from accomplishing your goals and stuff? Like going to University, I mean."

            "Well, it would normally, but by the time I have the baby, hopefully my husband and I will be settled down and I can go to school part time or something like that."

            Saying that, Hermione snuggled in closer to Severus and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. A gigantic smile crossed Ginny's face and Harry paled for a moment, but then smiled almost as big as Ginny. Then Harry's smiled disappeared as he remembered something, or more properly, someone.

            "But Mione, what about Ron? He doesn't even know the whole truth about what happened to you. And now you're engaged to Professor Snape, who he hates, and you're pregnant! He'll kill you, Professor, not to mention me, you, and Ginny because we didn't tell him."

            "That's why I need your help. I don't know if I'll be able to tell him everything myself, so you may need to finish the story for me. He should be here soon. I'm sure that Dumbledore sent for him already. So I'll start telling him about Severus and me. I have to tell him that myself. If I have to stop or just can't tell him the rest, Ginny, you tell him about my engagement, and Harry about my being pregnant. Is everyone okay with that?"

            Severus tried to get up to sit by the fire. He really didn't want to be so close when Ron flipped out, but Hermione grabbed his hand. She pulled him back down onto the couch and gave him a quick hug. She put on her warmest smile and Severus relaxed into his side of the couch. After a few minutes, Ron entered, looking rather confused. He smiled upon seeing Harry and Ginny, but a scowl crossed his face when he saw Severus sitting next to Hermione. He sat in a chair close to Harry, but also next to Hermione.

            "What's going on, guys? I mean first, you disappear from Hogsmeade, Hermione. Then I get called to Dumbledore's office when I didn't even do anything wrong. And what's HE doing here?" indicating Severus.

            "He is here because of me, Ron." Hermione started. "And you're here because I have something to tell you. I am engaged to Professor Snape. I love him and he loves me."

            Ron stood up, looking dumbstruck. He looked to Harry and Ginny for support, but saw that he would get none from them. His best friend and his own sister were siding with their Potions Professor! The evil, greasy git that had it out for everyone and everything alive, then, ever so calmly, he moved to stand in front of Severus and promptly punched him directly below his eye, cutting him below the eye. Like a shot, Harry lunged at Ron and pinned him to the floor. Dumbledore slowly rose and angrily walked over to where Harry had Ron on the floor. Anger flashed through his normally friendly eyes. Ron immediately stopped struggling.

            "Ronald Arthur Weasley, do you have any idea what the repercussions are for what you just did? I could expel you right now, with no need for the expulsion hearing normally required. You struck a Hogwarts Professor! However, I will not put your parents through the bad publicity that would come from expelling you. You are, as of this moment, put on Academic Probation. Whenever not attending classes, you will be either in the Great Hall at mealtimes or in your room, studying. You will go home at Christmas and for the short Easter break. Hogsmeade is off limits, as are the dungeons. You will no longer be attending potions class. If anyone catches you anywhere you are not supposed to be, you WILL be expelled from Hogwarts. Do I make myself perfectly clear?"

            Ron simply nodded; everyone was silent, never having seen Dumbledore so angry before. Hermione was gently tending to the wound on Severus' face, being very mindful of how close to his eye she was. His eye had already begun to bruise and was nearly swollen shut. Ron got up and quickly and silently left the room. Albus got an ice pack from somewhere and Severus was now holding it to his face. Harry and Ginny left after wishing Hermione and Severus a good night, hand in hand. Once they had left, Dumbledore sat across from Severus and Hermione. Severus had taken a potion to reduce the swelling, so he now only had a big black eye.

            "I truly apologize, Severus, for Mr. Weasley's actions. I knew that he has a temper, but I never expected him to explode like that. Now, I know that you are engaged and all, but I cannot allow that to affect your professional relationship. If you would like, there is a secret room near the dungeons that you could share. It was built for any families with at least one member working here. It is accessible through the floo network, and only has one other way in or out. Actually, the entrance is very near to your chambers, Severus."

            Severus looked quizzically at Dumbledore. He lived at the end of a dead end hallway. But there were plenty of secrets that only the Headmaster knew about. Severus nodded and Hermione yawned. It had been a very long day for her. 

            "I see that one of you is very tired after her long day. Your things have been sent to your new rooms. The password to get past the wards or to enter the room via floo is _el amor verdad. Have a lovely night, and congratulations on finding each other."_

            Severus stood up and, taking Hermione's hand, went to the fireplace. With a pinch of floo powder, they were transported to their new rooms. Once in the rooms, Severus wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into a searing kiss. Their tongues mingled, sharing a days worth of pent-up frustration and passion. Breaking the kiss to catch their breath, they quickly pulled off their robes and shirts. Electricity was in the air as skin touched skin. They kicked off their shoes and kissed again. Severus backed Hermione up until she was sitting on the bed. She lay down in the middle of the bed and he was immediately on top of her, unbuttoning her skirt and tossing it aside. She fumbled with his belt; he moved her hands and did it for her, adding his pants to the growing pile of clothes. He unclasped her bra and, looking for her approval and getting it with a smile and a nod, pulled off her lace panties. Sitting back on his heels for a moment, he memorized the beautiful sight before him. Hermione gazed into his eyes as she slid down his black silk boxers. Severus leaned forward and started gently kissing her collarbone and worked his way down. 

            "More, Severus, I want to feel you inside me, but won't it hurt the baby?"

            "No, it won't. Having sex will make me a part of the child as well, so, in a way, I actually will be the child's father. Are you sure you want to do this?"

            "Yes, more than anything. I'm scared, but I know you will never hurt me. I trust you."

            Severus stroked her cheek and softly kissed her. He positioned himself at her opening and gently pushed himself inside her. Hermione closed her eyes and smiled. Slowly and gently, he started moving in and out. His pace quickened when she started meeting his thrusts. She came and he followed shortly thereafter. Severus collapsed on top of her, breathing heavily and all sweaty. He pulled himself off of her and sleepily wrapped his arm around her tummy. She tucked a stray strand of hair behind his ear and kissed his cheek just below the cut. Severus pulled her close and summoned a blanket. He wrapped it around them and she gazed lovingly into his eyes. 

            "I love you, Severus."

            "And I love you too. You are my world, Hermione. Don't ever forget that."

            "I never will."

            She fell asleep in her fiancée's arms, happier than she had ever been. 


	17. The Wedding

Love Everlasting

Chapter 17       

Disclaimer: Jo Rowling owns all of these characters.

            Hermione woke up the next morning at her usual 5:45am. It may have been Sunday, but that didn't mean that she could let her schoolwork fall behind. She moved to get up and found herself snugly wrapped up in Severus' arms. Smiling, Hermione snuggled closer to him and went back to sleep. They slept for a few more hours, cozy and warm in each other's arms. Severus was the first awake this time. He lay next to Hermione, lightly stroking her tummy which still perfectly concealed the child growing inside her. After a few minutes, Hermione woke up and looked up at Severus, smiling. She covered his hand with hers and squeezed his hand softly. 

            "Good morning, Severus."

            "Did I wake you?"

            "No, but I can't think of a better way to wake up."

            "Nor can I, Hermione."

            Hermione got up and dressed in a long shirt and bathrobe; Severus got into a pair of black silk boxers. They sat at the small table near the study to eat the lovely breakfast that Dumbledore had sent them. When they were done, Hermione found her latest issue of _Witch Weekly, which also happened to be the bridal issue. They flipped through the magazine, noting things they would like in their wedding._

            "I want Professor Dumbledore to officiate; all the professors should be there, along with Harry, Ginny, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley….what about your family?"

            "My mother is in Azkaban, my father was given the Dementor's Kiss, and my older sister lives in France. She is a Potions Mistress at Beuxbatons. I shall owl her to see if she would like to come. But other than Jocelyn, I have no family. I don't need a large family, because I have you."

            "I do believe that I have turned the feared Severus Snape into a softy!"

            Severus attempted to glare at her, but was unable to keep a small smile from creeping through. Hermione started laughing at his poor attempt at a trademarked Snape glare. Severus stood up and got dressed, heading for the door. Hermione chased after him, thinking that her laughter made him leave.    

            "Please stay, Severus. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I'm sorry."

            "You did nothing of the sort, dear. I am going to London to get something for a very special someone."

            "I don't need anything if you mean me."

            "Who else would I mean, Hermione?"

            "Fine, but nothing too expensive if you're insisting on getting me something."

            "Whatever you say, dear."

            Severus left and Hermione knew that he had no intention of heeding her words. She made their rooms look homier while he went to Gladrags Wizardwear in London. He entered the store and headed straight to the rack containing the dress robes Hermione wanted the most. Picking up the robe, he felt that it was light as a feather and flowed like water. No wonder Hermione fell in love with it. He bought it right away along with a new formal robe for himself; it was a very very dark purple color, almost black, and matched the slightly lighter shade of Hermione's new robe. Paying for the packages, he apparated back to Hogsmeade. Then he went back to their rooms and hid the packages. Seeing that Hermione was nowhere to be found, Severus sat in an armchair and lazily flipped through his latest copy of _Potions Monthly. After about an hour, Hermione came back and told him all about going to Hogsmeade with Ginny and Harry and how they looked at wedding robes and other wedding related stuff. They then went to dinner in the Great Hall; Hermione was calmer when she saw Ron sitting with the first-year Hufflepuffs. She sat down next to Harry and they devoured their dinners. Afterwards, she, Harry, and Ginny hung out in the Gryffindor common room, talking playing chess and just being friends. When it started getting late, Hermione headed back to her rooms and found Severus sleeping at the table, trying to grade papers. She brushed away the hair that had fallen in his face and softly kissed his temple. He opened his eyes and sleepily looked at her._

            "Come to bed. If you sleep all night on top of those parchments, you'll get ink all over your face."

            He mumbled something about being tired as he got up and undressed. Hermione changed into a long nightgown and crawled into bed next to Severus. They quickly fell asleep, happy to be together. 

**************************************************************************************************************************

            The months before the wedding flew by in nearly a heartbeat. Hermione was really showing her pregnancy, but everyone just accounted that to her small frame. Hermione, however, felt that something was amiss. So with the wedding in just 3 days, she went to see Madam Pomfrey. Sitting on the bed in Poppy's office, she removed the robe Dumbledore gave her so that Poppy could see just how big she was. Poppy came into her office and sat next to Hermione and began performed a few simple spells and a puzzled look crossed her face. Hermione began to get worried.

            "Madam Pomfrey, what's the matter? Is there something wrong with the baby?"

            "You're not having one child, Hermione. You're having twins. I don't know how I never noticed it. Their heartbeats must have been synchronized until now. Congratulations. Would you like me to get Severus?"

            "No thank you, Madam Pomfrey. I'll tell him tonight. Wow! Twins. Are they both alright?"

            "Yes, dear, their heartbeats are good and strong. And they also appear to be approximately the same size, which indicates they are growing just fine. I must let you know, however, that you most likely will have them early and I would also like you to plan to take the NEWT's soon after the winter break ends because it would be risky for you to wait until the end of the year."

            "Alright, I will take care of that. Thanks a lot for seeing me today."

            "Anytime, Hermione. See you at the ceremony, dear."

            Later that night, lying in bed next to Severus, Hermione decided to tell him the good news. She was resting her head on his shoulder and he was rubbing her back. Hermione propped herself up on her elbows and looked him in the eye.

            "Severus, I have some news for you about us."

            "What is it, Hermione? Is there something wrong with the baby or is there a problem with the wedding?"

            "There's no problem. But I think that we will need a bigger room for the babies," she said with a mischievous smile. 

            "Babies, wait a minute! You said babies. Are you having twins?"

            Hermione nodded and Severus enveloped her in a big bear hug. As he held her, Hermione made a tiny gasping noise and held her hand to her tummy.

            "What's the matter? Did I hurt you?"

            "No, nothing like that at all. One of the babies just kicked. Would you like to feel it?"

            Severus nodded and Hermione placed his hand over the spot where the baby was kicking. A smile mixed with awe and pure love spread across his face as he felt the tiny movement. Hermione slipped out of her robes and into a nightgown. They both slipped under the covers, talking as Severus held her. They discussed various names for the babies. After talking for a long time, they fell asleep, exhausted, but happy.

            Over the next 3 days, Severus and Hermione barely saw each. They were very busy getting ready for the wedding. Hermione was with her parents in one of Hogwarts' guest suites and Severus spent much of his time with Professor Proteja, his best man. Over the first half of the school year, Severus and Gorge had nearly become friends. The ceremony was at 3pm and at noon, Ginny went to do Hermione's hair. She brought with her a gift to Hermione from Severus. Hermione had sent Harry to check on Severus and give him her gift.

            "This is from Professor Snape. Open it please! I want to see what it is."

            "Okay, Ginny, I'm opening it." Hermione untied the ribbon and lifted the lid from the box. On top of the tissue paper was a note from Severus.

_My Dearest Hermione,_

_I love you so much. No gift can well represent my feelings for you. You are my sun and moon and I never want to spend a day without you._

_Love Always,_

_Severus_

            Tears filled Hermione's eyes as she read the note. The tears streamed down her face when she removed the tissue paper and saw the robe. Her robe. Ginny's eyes grew wide when she saw the shimmering beadwork on the flowing robe. Hermione hung it up and hugged Ginny tightly.

            "Wow! That robe is amazing, 'Mione. You are so lucky. I never thought I would say this, but Professor Snape is a really great guy."

            "You have no idea how wonderful is it to hear you say that, Gin. Now come on and fix my hair. We only have two hours."

Meanwhile, Harry was in Severus' and Hermione's rooms, making sure that Severus was almost ready. He, Gorge, and Severus were all wearing black tuxedo pants, cream dress shirts, and black ties. Their long black robes were hanging in the bedroom. Harry handed Severus the small black box wrapped in shiny green paper. Severus opened the card; leaving the room so no one would see him should he start to cry.

_Severus,_

_Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would be marrying such an incredible man. You are everything I ever wished for and I can't even begin to think what my life would be like without you. I love you with my heart and soul and I thank Merlin every day for letting me love you._

_All my love,_

_Hermione_

            He unwrapped the box and opened it. Inside it was a gleaming silver charm on a beautiful chain. It was a small tiger, Hermione's animagus. They had figured out what she would be over the summer. He took it out of the box and carefully put it on. Now he would always have her close to his heart. Severus finished getting dressed and went to the Great Hall with Harry and Gorge. They stood next to Dumbledore and watched the entrance doors. It was a small ceremony; only the Professors, the Weasley family (excepting Ron who was at home), a few members of Hermione's extended family, and Jocelyn Snape were there. Jocelyn brought her girlfriend, Alyssa, as well. No one knew that she was gay, but Severus was glad that his sister had found happiness, in whatever form it took. A soft Celtic tune filled the air and Ginny walked down the aisle in pale green dress robes that accentuated her eyes. Harry smiled brightly as he watched his beautiful girlfriend come towards Dumbledore. When she reached her place, Hermione and her parents began coming down the aisle. Everyone was in awe when they saw Hermione. She was simply radiant wearing a long, cream colored robe detailed with sparkling embroidery. Hermione hadn't charmed it to conceal the fact that she was pregnant and that just made her look even more beautiful. When she reached the front of the Hall, her parents hugged her and kissed her cheek before sitting down. Severus took her hand and they looked at Dumbledore.

            "Friends and Family, Honored Guests, we are gathered he today to witness the holy marriage of Hermione Marie Granger and Severus Isildur Snape. We will now witness their exchange of the sacred vows of matrimony. Please repeat after me."

            Severus took Hermione's other hand and they stared into each other's eyes. They repeated their vows after Dumbledore, meaning every word.

            "I, Severus, take you, Hermione, to be my wife and these things I promise you:

                        I will be faithful to you and honest with you;  
                        I will respect, truth, help and care for you;  
                        I will share my life with you;  
                        I will forgive you as we have been forgiven;  
                        and I will try with you better to understand ourselves, the world, and Merlin;  
                        through the best and the worst of what is to come as long as we live."

            "I, Hermione, take you, Severus, to be my husband and these things I promise you:

                        I will be faithful to you and honest with you;  
                        I will respect, truth, help and care for you;  
                        I will share my life with you;  
                        I will forgive you as we have been forgiven;  
                        and I will try with you better to understand ourselves, the world, and God;  
                        through the best and the worst of what is to come as long as we live."

            "The wedding ring is the outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual bond which unites two loyal hearts in endless love. It is a seal of the vows Severus and Hermione have made to one another. Bless O Merlin these rings that Hermione and Severus, who give them, and who wear them, may ever abide in thy peace. Living together in unity, love and happiness for the rest of their lives."

            Severus slipped the gleaming silver ring on Hermione's finger and spoke "Hermione, I give you this ring as a symbol of our vows, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you. In the name of Merlin, with this ring, I thee wed."

            Hermione did the same, saying "Severus, I give you this ring as a symbol of our vows, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you. In the name of Merlin, with this ring, I thee wed."

            Dumbledore would now end the ceremony. "Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be shelter for the other. Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth to the other. Now there will be no loneliness, for each of you will be companion to the other. Now you are two persons, but there is only one life before you. May beauty surround you both in the journey ahead and through all the years, may happiness be your companion and your days together be good and long upon the earth.   
            Treat yourselves and each other with respect, and remind yourselves often of what brought you together. Give the highest priority to the tenderness, gentleness and kindness that your connection deserves. When frustration, difficult and fear assail your relationship - as they threaten all relationships at one time or another - remember to focus on what is right between you, not only the part which seems wrong. In this way, you can ride out the storms when clouds hide the face of the sun in your lives - remembering that even if you lose sight of it for a moment, the sun is still there. And if each of you takes responsibility for the quality of your life together, it will be marked by abundance and delight. With the power invested in me by the Ministry of Magic and the grace of Merlin, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Severus, you may kiss your bride."

            Severus wrapped his arms around her waist and she wrapped hers behind his neck. All the pain, sorrow, and anger that they had felt over the past 6 months disappeared in that one kiss. 

A/N: I'm sorry that this chapter took so long, but I hope it was worth the wait. Oh, and 50 points from Dumbledore to whoever reviews telling me the "Lord of the Rings" reference before Friday!


End file.
